Substrate processing apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A cassette station, a processing station having a coating unit and a developing unit, and an inspecting station having a film thickness inspecting apparatus and a defect inspecting apparatus are disposed in the direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the disposition of cassettes of the cassette station in such a manner that the inspecting station is disposed midway between the cassette station and the processing station. In the structure, the inspecting station and the processing station are connected and wafers are automatically transferred among the stations, operations from the substrate process to the inspection can be simplified and the time period necessary therefore can be shortened.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and asubstrate processing method for performing for example a resist solutioncoating process and a developing process for substrates such assemiconductor wafers and glass substrates for liquid crystal displays.

2. Description of the Related Art

In a semiconductor apparatus fabrication process, photolithographytechnology is used. In the photolithography technology, a resistsolution is coated on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. With aphoto mask, the resist film is exposed and developed. As a result, adesired resist pattern is formed on the substrate.

The photolithography technology is accomplished by a pattern formingsystem of which an aligner is connected to a coating and developingapparatus. When semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers)are processed, the coating and developing apparatus is composed of acarrier stage, a transfer mechanism, a process block, and an interfacestation. The carrier stage loads and unloads a wafer carrier. Thetransfer mechanism takes a wafer from a carrier placed on the carrierstage. The coating and developing apparatus is connected to the aligner.A wafer is transferred to a processing station through the transfermechanism. The processing station coats a resist film on the wafer. Thealigner exposes the wafer. Thereafter, the wafer is returned to theprocessing station. The processing station develops the wafer. Theresultant wafer is returned to the carrier through the transfermechanism.

After the processed wafer is placed in the carrier, the carrier istransferred from a carrier stage 11 to an inspecting unit disposed inanother area this is different from the coating and developing apparatus1 by an operator or an automatic transferring robot. The inspecting unitinspects the line widths of the resist pattern formed on the wafer, thematching of the resist pattern and the base pattern, the coatedirregularities of the resist, the developing defects, and so forth. Whenthe inspected result of the wafer is successful, it is transferred tothe next process. When the inspected result of the wafer is NG, it istransferred to a cleaning unit. The cleaning unit dissolves the resistfrom the wafer so as to restore the wafer to the original state. Theresultant wafer is transferred to the pattern forming system again. Thepattern forming system performs the similar process for the wafer.

However, since the wafer that has been processed by the pattern formingsystem is transferred to the external inspecting unit that inspects thepattern of the wafer and then transferred to the next process, thethroughput of the system deteriorates. In addition, the wafer should bequeued while the inspecting unit is inspecting a wafer whose pattern hasbeen formed by another pattern forming system. Thus, the throughput ofthe coating and developing apparatus does not advantageously affect theoverall process. In addition, when the operator wants to know theinspected result of the pattern, he or she should walk to the place ofthe inspecting unit. Thus, it is inconvenient to evaluate the recipe ofthe process corresponding to the inspected result.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processingapparatus and a substrate processing method that allows a substrate tobe inspected without a deterioration of the throughput of a coating anddeveloping apparatus and so forth.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrateprocessing apparatus and a substrate processing method that allows asubstrate to be easily sample-inspected.

To accomplish the above-described objects, a first aspect of the presentinvention is a substrate processing apparatus, comprising a cassettestation having a holding portion for holding a substrate cassette thatcontains a plurality of substrates, and a transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to and from the substrate cassette placed onthe holding portion, a processing station having a substrate processingportion for coating process solution on the substrate transferred fromthe cassette station, an inspecting station connected to the processingstation, the inspecting station having an inspecting portion forinspecting a processed state of the substrate processing portion for thesubstrate, and a main transfer mechanism for transferring a substratebetween the processing station and the inspecting station.

In such a structure, the inspecting station and the processing stationare adjacently disposed. In addition, a substrate is automaticallytransferred between the inspecting station and the processing station.Thus, it is not necessary for the operator to perform the transferringoperation. In addition, the transferring time for the wafer is short.Thus, the total operation from the substrate process to the inspectioncan be simplified. Moreover, since the processed state can be inspectedon real time basis, the inspection accuracy is improved. As a result,the total operation time from the process to the inspection can beshortened.

A second aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for coating aresist on a substrate and developing the substrate that has beenexposed, the apparatus being connected to an aligner, the apparatuscomprising a carrier station having a carrier loading/unloading portionfor loading and unloading a carrier that contains a plurality ofsubstrates, and a transferring portion for transferring a substrate toand from the carrier on the carrier loading/unloading portion, aprocessing station disposed adjacent to the carrier station, theprocessing station having a coating portion for coating resist on thesubstrate, a developing portion for developing the substrate that hasbeen exposed, and a main transferring portion for transferring thesubstrate to the coating portion and the developing portion andtransferring the substrate to and from the transferring portion, aninspecting station disposed adjacent to the carrier station, theinspecting station having an inspecting portion for inspecting thesubstrate, an external carrier holding portion for holding a carrierthat contains the substrate that has been processed outside thesubstrate processing apparatus, and a mode selecting portion forselecting a regular operation mode in which the inspecting portioninspects the substrate processed in the processing station or aninspecting portion dedicated operation mode in which the inspectingportion inspects the substrate processed outside the substrateprocessing apparatus.

The external carrier holding portion is disposed in the carrier station.The external carrier holding portion is a part of the carrierloading/unloading portion of the carrier station. The inspecting stationhas an auxiliary transferring portion for transferring the substrate toand from the inspecting portion. An intermediate holding portion isdisposed in the carrier station, in the inspecting station, or midwaybetween the carrier station and the inspecting station, the intermediateholding station temporarily holding a substrate. The transferringportion of the carrier station transfers the substrate developed in theprocessing station and the substrate contained in a carrier on theexternal carrier holding portion to and from the auxiliary transferringportion through the intermediate holding portion.

According to the present invention, since inspections such as a patterninspection can be performed in the coating and developing apparatus, thethroughput is improved. In addition, when a maintenance operation forthe processing station that performs a coating process and a developingprocess is performed or when the developing process is stopped, theinspecting unit can be independently operated. Thus, a substrate broughtfrom the outside of the system can be inspected.

A third aspect of the present invention is an apparatus that has asimilar structure to the above-described aspects. In the third aspect, asecond transferring portion is disposed in addition to the transferringportion (first transferring portion) of the carrier station. The secondtransferring portion transfers the substrate between a carrier on saidexternal carrier holding portion and said inspecting station.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is an apparatus that has asimilar structure to the above-described aspects. In the fourth aspect,an external carrier holding portion and an auxiliary transferringportion are disposed in the inspecting station.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processingapparatus, comprising a cassette station having a holding portion forholding a substrate cassette that contains a plurality of substrates,and a transferring portion for transferring the substrate to and fromthe substrate cassette on the holding portion, a processing stationdisposed adjacent to the cassette station, the processing station havinga substrate processing portion for coating process solution on thesubstrate, and a main transfer mechanism for transferring substrates tothe substrate processing portion in the order of those contained in asubstrate cassette and transferring the substrates to and from thetransferring portion in the order of those contained in the substratecassette, an inspecting portion for inspecting the processed state ofthe substrate processing portion for the substrate, an inspectingsubstrate holding portion for holding an inspecting substrate that hasbeen processed outside the substrate processing apparatus and that isinspected in the inspecting portion, a substrate holding portion forholding substrates that have been processed in the substrate processingportion and that are later than the inspecting substrate in thesubstrate cassette in the order of those contained therein, and a maintransfer mechanism for transferring the substrate that has beenprocessed in the substrate processing portion to the inspectingsubstrate holding portion and the substrate holding portion.

In such a structure, since the substrate processing apparatus isprovided with the inspecting portion, it is not necessary to convey asubstrate for a longer distance than the case that the inspectingportion is disposed as an external apparatus. Thus, the transferringtime is short. As a result, the throughput of the system is improved.

The above-described apparatus performs a substrate processing method,comprising the steps of transferring a plurality of substrates containedin a substrate cassette to a substrate processing portion in the orderof the substrates contained in the substrate cassette and coatingprocess solution on the substrates, unloading a substrate processed inthe substrate processing portion from the substrate processing portion,transferring an n-th (n is any integer equal to or larger than 1)inspecting substrate that is contained in the substrate cassette andthat is unloaded from the substrate processing portion to an inspectingportion and causing the inspecting portion to inspect the processedstate of the substrate processing portion, transferring substrates laterthan an inspecting substrate to a substrate holding portion and causingthe substrate holding portion to hold the substrates in the order of thesubstrates contained in the substrate cassette until the inspectingportion completes the inspection of the inspecting substrate when theprocess time period of the inspecting portion is longer than thetransferring intervals of substrates transferred from the substrateprocessing portion, unloading the inspecting substrate that has beeninspected in the inspecting portion from the inspecting portion, andunloading the inspecting substrate from the inspecting portion and thenunloading the substrates held in the substrate holding portion therefromin the order of the substrates contained in the substrate cassette.

According to the present invention, when a substrate that has beenprocessed in the substrate processing portion is sample-inspected andthe process time of the inspecting portion is longer than thetransferring interval of substrates to the substrate processing portion,while an inspecting substrate is being inspected, substrates that arenot inspected are queued in the substrate holding portion. Thus, withoutneed to provide a complicated sample-inspecting transferring program,substrates can be returned to the original cassette in the order ofthose contained therein.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent in light of the following detaileddescription of a best mode embodiment thereof, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the coating and developingapparatus;

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view showing an inspecting station ofthe coating and developing apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an example of an inspecting portion;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the inspecting station;

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example of a first inspecting unit, ashelf unit, and a processing unit;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a coating unit;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a main transfer mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to still another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to still another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing the overall structure accordingto another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view showing the embodiment shown inFIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a schematic, vertical side view showing a part of theembodiment shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing an example of an intermediateholding portion according to the embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing an example of an intermediateholding portion according to the embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a controlling system of theembodiment;

FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view showing the overall structure ofanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a schematic perspective view showing the embodiment shown inFIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a schematic plan view showing the overall structure ofanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure ofwhich a carrier that is brought from the outside is placed on theintermediate holding portion;

FIG. 24 is a schematic plan view showing the overall structure ofanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a schematic perspective view showing the embodiment shown inFIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a schematic plan view showing the overall structure ofanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a side view showing the structure of a transfer mechanismaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to still another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 30 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 31 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to still another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 32 is a schematic plan view showing a coating and developingapparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 33 is a plan view showing a cassette station according to anotherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 34 is a front view showing a cassette station shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram for explaining a mechanism that controlsa pressure according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 33 and FIG. 34;

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a coating and developingapparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 37 is a schematic plan view showing the coating and developingapparatus shown in FIG. 36;

FIG. 38 is a perspective view showing an inspecting unit of the coatingand developing apparatus shown in FIG. 36;

FIG. 39 is a sectional view showing the inspecting unit shown in FIG.36;

FIG. 40 is a perspective view showing an example of a shelf unit and aprocessing unit shown in FIG. 36;

FIGS. 41A to 41D are schematic diagrams showing steps of a method usedin the coating and developing apparatus according to the presentinvention; and

FIGS. 42A to 42D are schematic diagrams showing other steps of a methodused in the coating and developing apparatus according to the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, exploded perspective view showing the interior ofan embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan viewof the embodiment. In FIGS. 1 and 2, S1 represents a cassette station.S2 represents an inspecting station that performs a particularinspection for a wafer W. S3 represents a processing station thatperforms substrate processes such as a resist coating process, adeveloping process, and so forth for a wafer W. S4 represents aninterface station. S5 represents an aligner.

The cassette station S1 has a cassette stage 21, a cassette 22, and atransfer mechanism 23. The cassette stage 21 is a holding portion thatholds wafer cassettes (hereinafter referred to as cassettes) that arefor example four substrate cassettes. Each cassette contains a pluralityof substrates (for example, 25 wafers). Each cassette 22 is placed onthe cassette stage 21. The transfer mechanism 23 is a transferringportion that transfers a wafer W to and from a transferring portion 33(that will be described later) of the inspecting station S2. Thetransfer mechanism 23 is structured so that it can be elevated, moved inthe X and Y directions, and rotated around the vertical axis.

The inspecting station S2 is connected to the cassette station S1 in thedirection approximately perpendicular to the direction of thedisposition of the cassettes placed on the cassette station S1. As shownin FIGS. 2, 3 (perspective view of the inspecting station S2), and 4(sectional view of the inspecting station S2 viewed from the processingstation S3), the inspecting station S2 has inspecting apparatuses thatare inspecting portions that inspect processed states of a plurality ofsubstrates for example two film thickness inspecting apparatuses 31(31A, 31B), two defect inspecting apparatuses 32 (32A, 32B), onetransferring portion 33, a chemical unit C that is one holding portion,an electric unit E that is for example one holding portion, and one maintransfer mechanism MA1. The inspecting station S2 inspects predeterminedsubstrate process states such as the film thickness of resist film,developed line widths, presence/absence of scratches of resist film,coated irregularities of resist solution, developing defects, and soforth for a wafer that has been coated with the resist solution anddeveloped.

Next, an example of the layout of the inspecting station S2 will bedescribed. For example, on the far side of the cassette station S1, forexample, on the right side viewed from the cassette station S1, a firstinspecting unit U1 is disposed. The first inspecting unit U1 has aplurality of inspecting units that are two film thickness inspectingapparatuses 31A and 31B. As mentioned above, the first inspecting unitU1 has the transferring portion 33 disposed midway between the filmthickness inspecting apparatuses 31A and 31B. On the lower side of thefirst inspecting unit U1, the chemical unit C is disposed.

The film thickness inspecting apparatuses 31 are apparatuses thatoptically inspect the thickness of a base film formed on a substrate(for example, the thickness of a coated resist film such as an oxidefilm or poly-silicon film) by optical interference method. Thetransferring portion 33 has a transferring table on which a wafer W istransferred between the transfer mechanism 23 of the cassette station S1and the main transfer mechanism MA1. An elevating pin (not shown), thetransfer mechanism 23, and the main transfer mechanism MA1 cooperativelytransfer a wafer W to and from the transferring table. The elevating pincan be elevated by an elevating mechanism.

The chemical unit C has a supplying system that supplies a material forexample a chemical solution that is used in a coating unit and so forth(that will be described later).

The chemical unit C has for example reservoir tanks for solvents andresist solutions, various types of valves such as open/close valves ofthe reservoir tanks, filters, valve driving portions, and dischargenozzle driving systems.

When viewed from the cassette station S1, on the left side, the secondinspecting unit U2 is disposed. The second inspecting unit U2 has aplurality of inspecting apparatuses that are the defect inspectingapparatuses 32A and 32B. On the lower side of the second inspecting unitU2, the above-mentioned electric unit E is disposed.

The defect inspecting apparatuses 32 inspect scratches on the frontsurface of a resist film, the matching of the resist patterns of theupper layer and the lower layer, presence/absence of foreign matters inresist solution, coated irregularities of resist solution, anddeveloping defects using pictures photographed by a CCD camera (thatwill be described later). The electric unit E has electric apparatusessuch as a power supply portion, a controller, and a power panel that areused for the film thickness inspecting apparatuses 31, the defectinspecting apparatuses 32, the main transfer mechanism MA1, the coatingunit, and the developing unit (that will be described later).

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, an example of the film thicknessinspecting apparatus 31 will be described. The film thickness inspectingapparatus 31 comprises a housing 100, a rotating holding table 110, aCCD camera 120, and a lighting portion 130. The housing 100 has anopening from which a wafer W is transferred. The rotating holding table110 is disposed in the housing 100. The rotating holding table 110horizontally holds a wafer W and adjusts the orientation thereof. TheCCD camera 120 photographs the front surface of a wafer W placed on therotating holding table 110. The CCD camera 120 can be moved in the X, Y,and Z directions. A picture of a wafer W photographed by the CCD camera120 is analyzed by a personal computer (not shown) that is a dataprocessing portion so as to inspect the wafer W. Alternatively, the CCDcamera 120 may be fixed, whereas the rotating holding table 110 for thewafer W may be moved in the X, Y, and Z directions.

The film thickness inspecting apparatus 31 further comprises a filmthickness probe 140 disposed at one side of the CCD camera 120. In FIG.4, the film thickness probe 140 is denoted as a dotted line block. Thefilm thickness probe 140 has a light emitting portion and a lightreceiving portion. The film thickness probe 140 radiates light to awafer W and obtains the reflection ratio thereof. The obtainedreflection ratio is analyzed by the computer. As a result, the filmthickness can be obtained.

The main transfer mechanism MA1 is disposed between the first inspectingunit U1 and the second inspecting unit U2. The main transfer mechanismMA1 transfers a wafer W between each of the first inspecting unit U1 andthe second inspecting unit U2 and a transferring portion 46 of theprocessing station S3 (that will be described later). The main transfermechanism MA1 can be elevated, moved leftward and rightward, movedforward and backward, and rotated around the vertical axis. Forsimplicity, in FIG. 1, the main transfer mechanism MA1 is omitted.

In the example, the structure of which the inspecting station S2 havingthe chemical unit C and the electric unit E was described.Alternatively, the inspecting station S2 may not have both the chemicalunit C and the electric unit E. In other words, the inspecting stationS2 may have either the chemical unit C or the electric unit E. Inaddition, the inspecting station S2 may have only inspecting portionssuch as the film thickness inspecting apparatus 31 or the defectinspecting apparatus 32. Furthermore, the number of inspecting portionsdisposed in the inspecting station S2 may be one rather than two asnecessary. Alternatively, a plurality of inspecting portions of theinspecting station S2 may be disposed on three stages or four stages. Inaddition, as inspecting portions, only the film thickness inspectingapparatuses 31 or the defect detecting apparatuses 32 may be disposed.Alternatively, in addition to those apparatuses, other inspectingapparatuses may be disposed.

In addition, the inspecting station S2 is independently disposed. Inother words, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inspecting station S2 ispartitioned off with a wall portion 34 from the other space.Corresponding to the transferring portion 33 of the inspecting stationS2 adjacent to the cassette station S1 and the processing station S3,transferring openings 35 through which the transfer mechanism 23transfers a wafer W to the transferring portion 33 are formed in thewall portion 34. In addition, corresponding to the transferring portion46 of the processing station S3, transferring opening (not shown)through which the main transfer mechanism MA1 transfers a wafer W to thetransferring portion 46 are formed in the wall portion 34.

As shown in FIG. 5, a filter unit F is disposed in the inspectingstation S2 partitioned off with the wall portion 34 in such a mannerthat the filter unit F covers the top of the inspecting station S2.Atmospheric gas collected from the lower portions of the chemical unit Cand the electric unit E is exhausted to a plant exhausting system. Inaddition, part of the atmospheric gas is supplied to a filter apparatus36 that is an adjusting portion. The filter apparatus 36 purifies theatmospheric gas and adjusts its temperature and humidity topredetermined values. The adjusted air is supplied as a down flow toeach portion through the filter unit F. The filter unit F has an airpurifying filter, a sucking fan, and so forth. The filter apparatus hasan impurity removing portion, a heating mechanism, a humidifyingmechanism, an air supplying portion, and so forth. Alternatively,without an air circulating portion, air whose temperature and humidityhave been adjusted may be supplied to each inspecting portion. Air of aclean room may be supplied to the cassette station S1.

In the inspecting station S2, the first inspecting unit U1, the secondinspecting unit U2, and the main transfer mechanism MA1 aresymmetrically disposed with respect to a dashed line L that divides theX direction of the inspecting station S2 into nearly two portions. Inother words, when the inspecting station S2 is rotated by a half turnand thereby the second inspecting unit U2 is positioned on the right ofthe cassette station S1, the transfer mechanism 23 of the cassettestation S1 can access the transferring portion 33 through thetransferring opening 35. In addition, the main transfer mechanism MA1 ofthe inspecting station S2 can access a shelf unit R1 of the processingstation S3 through a transferring opening (not shown).

In addition, the processing station S3 is connected to the inspectingstation S2 in the direction approximately perpendicular to the directionof the disposition of the cassettes placed on the cassette station S1.The processing station S3 has two developing units 41 (41A and 41B) assubstrate processing portions, two coating units 42 (42A and 42B) assubstrate processing portions, three shelf units R (R1, R2, and R3), andone main transfer mechanism MA2. The processing station S3 transfers awafer W between the inspecting station S2 and the interface station S4.The processing station S3 performs a resist solution coating process, adeveloping process, a heating process heating wafer W to a predeterminedtemperature before and after these processes, and a cooling process fora wafer W.

Next, an example of the layout of the processing station S3 will bedescribed. For example, when viewed from the cassette station S1, on theright, a processing unit U3 is disposed. The processing unit U3 iscomposed of two stages. Each stage of the processing unit U3 has adeveloping unit 41 and a coating unit 42. In the following description,the cassette station S1 side is referred to as near side, whereas thealigner S5 side is referred to as far side.

When viewed from the cassette station S1 of the processing unit U3, onthe left, a main transfer mechanism MA2 is disposed. The main transfermechanism MA2 transfers a wafer W among the coating units 42, thedeveloping units 41, and the shelf units R. The main transfer mechanismMA2 can be elevated, moved leftward and rightward, moved forward andbackward, and rotated around the vertical axis. When viewed from thecassette station S1, on the near side of the main transfer mechanismMA2, on the far side of the main transfer mechanism MA2, and the leftside of the main transfer mechanism MA2, the shelf unit R1, the shelfunit R2, and the shelf unit R3 are disposed, respectively. However, forsimplicity, in FIG. 1, the shelf unit R3 and the main transfer mechanismMA2 are omitted.

In the processing station S3, sufficient space is made for each of theprocessing unit U3 and of the shelf unit R3 so that they are disposed toface the first inspecting unit U1 and the second inspecting unit U2 ofthe inspecting station S2, respectively.

As an example of the shelves R, referring to FIG. 6, the shelf unit R1has a heating portion 43, a cooling portion 44, a hydrophobic portion45, a transferring portion 46, and an alignment portion 47 that aresuccessively disposed in the vertical direction. The heating portion 43heats a wafer W. The cooling portion 44 cools a wafer W. The hydrophobicportion 45 performs a hydrophobic process for the front surface of awafer W. In the shelf unit R1, the transferring portion 46 has atransferring table on which a wafer W is transferred between the maintransfer mechanism MA1 of the inspecting station S2 and the maintransfer mechanism MA2 of the processing station S3. In the shelf unitR2, the transferring portion 46 has a transferring table on which awafer W is transferred between the main transfer mechanism MA2 of theprocessing station S3 and a transfer mechanism A of the interfacestation S4 (that will be described later). The alignment portion 47aligns a wafer W.

Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the developing unit 41 will bedescribed. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 51 represents a cup. A spinchuck 52 that has a vacuum absorption function and that is rotatable isdisposed in the cup 51. The spin chuck 52 can be elevated by anelevating mechanism 53. When the spin chuck 52 is positioned on theupper side of the cup 51, a wafer W is transferred with an arm 61, (thatwill be described later), of the main transfer mechanism MA1.

When a wafer W is transferred from the arm 61 to the spin chuck 52, thespin chuck 52 rises from relatively lower position and receives thewafer W from the arm 61 on the upper side of the cup 51. When a wafer Wis transferred from the spin chuck 52 to the arm 61, the reverseoperation is performed. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 54 representsprocess solution discharging nozzle. Reference numeral 55 representsprocess solution supplying pipe. Reference numeral 56 represents asupporting arm that horizontally moves the nozzle.

The discharging nozzle 54 has many discharging holes arranged in forexample the diameter direction of a wafer W. The discharging nozzle 54discharges developing solution on the front surface of the wafer Wplaced on the spin chuck 52. The spin chuck 52 is rotated by a half turnso as to deposit the developing solution on the wafer W and thereby formthe film thereon.

Although the structure of the coating unit 42 is almost the same as thestructure of the developing unit 41, the discharging nozzle 54 of thecoating unit 42 discharges the process solution to almost the center ofthe wafer W. The discharging nozzle 54 drops the resist solution asprocess solution on the front surface of the wafer W placed on the spinchuck 52. The spin chuck 52 is rotated so as to spread the resistsolution on the wafer W.

As shown in FIG. 8, the main transfer mechanism MA (MA1 and MA2), eachhave three arms 61, a pedestal 62, and a pair of guide rails 63 and 64.The three arms hold wafers W. The pedestal 62 holds the arms 61 so thatthey can be moved forward and backward. The guide rails 63 and 64 holdthe pedestal 62 so that it can be elevated. By rotating the guide rails63 and 64 with a rotation driving portion 65, the wafer W can be movedforward and backward, elevated, and rotated around the vertical axis.

The processing station S3 is adjacently connected to the interfacestation S4. On the far side of the interface station S4, the aligner S5is connected. The aligner S5 exposes a wafer W on which a resist filmhas been formed. The interface station S4 has a transfer mechanism Athat transfers a wafer W between the processing station S3 and thealigner S5. The transfer mechanism A can be elevated, moved leftward andrightward, moved forward and backward, and rotated around the verticalaxis so as to transfer a wafer W between the transferring portion 46 ofthe shelf unit R2 of the processing station S3 and the aligner S5.

The width of the inspecting station S2 is not larger than the width inthe direction of the disposition of each of the cassette station S1 andthe processing station 53 (namely, the length of the disposition of thecassettes 22 of the cassette station S1 in the Y direction shown in FIG.2). In addition, the cassette station S1, the inspecting station S2, theprocessing station S3, and the interface station S4 can be connected anddisconnected with each other. In other words, as exemplified by theinspecting station S2 shown in FIG. 3, each structural station ispartitioned by a wall portion. Each structural portion is connected by,for example, connecting members such as joint fasteners, screws, andmagnets. Thus, as was described above, the inspecting station S2 can bedisposed midway between the cassette station S1 and the processingstation S3. Alternatively, the inspecting station S2 can be disposedmidway between the processing station S3 and the interface station S4.In addition, for example caster rollers are mounted at a lower portionof the inspecting station S2 so that it can be moved forward andbackward (in the Y direction of FIG. 2) so that the main transfermechanism MA1 can easily be maintained.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described.First of all, an automatic transferring robot (or an operator) transfersa cassette 22 that contains for example 25 wafers W to the cassettestage 21. The transfer mechanism 23 takes a wafer W from the cassette 22and places the wafer W on the transferring portion 33 of the inspectingstation S2 through the transferring opening 35 of the wall portion 34.

Thereafter, the main transfer mechanism MA1 transfers the wafer W to afilm thickness inspecting apparatus 31 of the inspecting station S2. Thefilm thickness inspecting apparatus 31 measures the film thickness ofbare silicon of the wafer W. Thereafter, the main transfer mechanism MA1of the inspecting station S2 places the wafer W on the transferringportion 46 of the shelf unit R1 of the processing station S3.Thereafter, the main transfer mechanism MA2 of the processing station S3transfers the wafer W in the path of the hydrophobic portion 45 of theshelf unit R, the cooling portion 44 of the shelf unit R, and thecoating unit 42. After the hydrophobic portion 45 performs thehydrophobic process for the wafer W, the cooling portion 44 cools thewafer W to the predetermined temperature. Thereafter, the coating unit42 coats a resist solution on the wafer W at the predeterminedtemperature.

The wafer W that has been coated with the resist solution is transferredto the main transfer mechanism MA1 of the inspecting station S2 throughthe transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R1. The film thicknessinspecting apparatus 31 measures the film thickness of the resist film.Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the processing station S3. Themain transfer mechanism MA2 transfers the wafer W to the aligner S5through the transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R2 and thetransfer mechanism A of the interface station S4. The aligner S5 exposesthe wafer W.

The exposed wafer W is transferred to the processing station S3 throughthe aligner S5, the transfer mechanism A of the interface station S4,and the transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R2 of the processingstation S3. The main transfer mechanism MA2 transfers the wafer W in thepath of the heating portion 43 of the shelf unit R, the cooling portion44 of the shelf unit R, and the developing unit 41. The developing unit41 develops the wafer W at a predetermined temperature as a coatingtemperature of the developing solution (for example, 23° C.).

Thereafter, the main transfer mechanism MA2 of the processing station S3transfers the wafer W in the path of the heating portion 43 of the shelfunit R, the cooling portion 44 of the shelf unit R, and the transferringportion 46 of the shelf unit R. The main transfer mechanism MA1 of theinspecting station S2 takes the wafer W from the transferring portion46. The main transfer mechanism MA1 of the inspecting station S2transfers the wafer W to a defect inspecting apparatus 32. The defectinspecting apparatus 32 inspects the processed state of the developingprocess for the wafer W such as measurement of the developed linewidths, presence/absence of scratches of front surface of the resistfilm, matching of resist patterns of the upper layer and lower layer,presence/absence of foreign matter of coated resist, and coatedirregularities of resist solution.

Thereafter, the main transfer mechanism MA1 transfers the inspectedwafer W to the transferring portion 33. The transfer mechanism 23returns the wafer W to the original cassette 22.

In the above-described system, the wafer W is transferred from the filmthickness inspecting apparatus 31 to the transferring portion 46 of theshelf unit R1 of the processing station S3 through the transferringportion 33 of the inspecting station S2. Thereafter, the wafer W istransferred in the path of a free hydrophobic portion 45, a free coolingportion 44, a free coating unit 42, the transferring portion 46 of theshelf unit R1, a free film thickness inspecting apparatus 31 of theinspecting station S2, the transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit Rof the processing station S3, and the interface station S4. The exposedwafer W is transferred in the path of the interface station S4, a freeheating portion 43 of the processing station S3, a free cooling portion44, the developing unit 41, a free heating portion 43, a free coolingportion 44, and the transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R1.Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred in the path of a free defectinspecting apparatuses 32 of the inspecting station S2 and thetransferring portion 33.

According to the above-described embodiment, a station having inspectingapparatuses is disposed midway between the cassette station S1 and theprocessing station S3. Thus, one operator can supervise resist coatingprocess, exposing process, developing process, and inspection. Thus, thenumber of operators can be reduced. In addition, when any defect isdetected in an inspection, the cause thereof can be quickly sought andcountermeasures thereof can be quickly taken.

Since a wafer W is automatically transferred between the processingstation S3 and the inspecting station S2, the total operation can besimplified without operator's intervention. In addition, since thetransferring time of a wafer W between the stations S2 and S3 is short,the total operation time for the operation from the substrate process tothe inspection can be shortened. In addition, since the processed stateof the developing process can be supervised on real time basis, a waferW can be more accurately inspected than before. In addition, any defectcan be quickly detected. Moreover, since an inspecting apparatus isdisposed in a coating and developing apparatus, a facility thatsuppresses particles from occurring can be shared.

As was described above, when the inspecting station S2 is structured incombination of a plurality of inspecting apparatuses, a plurality ofinspections can be performed for a wafer W in the same station. Inaddition, since the transferring time between each inspecting apparatusis very short, the total inspecting time can be shortened.

In addition, since the width in the direction perpendicular to thedirection of the disposition of the inspecting station S2 is not largerthan the width of each of the cassette station S1 and the processingstation S3, no portion of the cassette station S1 to the interfacestation S4 protrudes in the Y direction of FIG. 2. Thus, the stationscan be advantageously laid out.

When the width of the inspecting station S2 is the same as the width ofthe cassette station S1 and the inspecting station S2 has a plurality ofinspecting apparatuses, the width in the direction of the disposition ofthe inspecting station S2 (namely, the length in the X direction of FIG.2) can be increased corresponding to the types and sizes of theinspecting apparatuses. Thus, even if a plurality of inspectingapparatuses are disposed, the inspecting station S2 has a predeterminedspace. In other words, on the lower side of the first inspecting unit U1and the second inspecting unit U2, the chemical unit C and the electricunit E can be disposed, respectively. In recent years, since the numberof types of resist solutions tends to increase, the spaces for thechemical system and the electric system can be effectively used.

In addition, when the atmospheric temperature of an inspecting apparatusexceeds 30° C., it adversely affects the measuring accuracy of theinspecting apparatus. Thus, it is preferred not to dispose an inspectingapparatus adjacent to the heating portions 43 of the shelf units R.However, according to the above-described embodiment, predeterminedspaces are kept adjacent to the first inspecting unit U1 and the secondinspecting unit U2 of the processing station S3. Thus, each inspectingapparatus disposed in the first inspecting unit U1 and the secondinspecting unit U2 can be prevented from being affected by thetemperature of the processing station S3.

At that point, even if the first inspecting unit U1 and the secondinspecting unit U2 are disposed adjacent to the heating portions of theshelf units R, since the inspecting station S2 is partitioned off fromthe processing station S3 by the wall portion 34, each inspectingapparatus is suppressed from being affected by the temperature of theprocessing station S3. When the filter apparatus 36 that also operatesas a temperature adjusting apparatus can adjust the temperature andhumidity of the interior of the inspecting station S2 to predeterminedvalues, each inspecting apparatus can accurately perform a designatedinspection without an influence of the atmospheric temperature andhumidity. When the first inspecting unit U1 and the second inspectingunit U2 are disposed adjacent to the heating portions of the shelf unitsR, a heat insulating portion that is for example a heat insulatingmaterial or a pipe for circulating temperature controlled water may bedisposed between each of the first inspecting unit U1 and the secondinspecting unit U2 and the heating portions. In addition, theatmospheric temperature and humidity of the inspecting station S2 may beadjusted corresponding to the measurement purpose. Furthermore, theatmosphere corresponding to one of for example coating process,developing process, and exposing process may be adjusted. It ispreferred to satisfy the relation of inner pressure of processingstation S3>inner pressure of cassette station S1>pressure of inspectingstation S2>inner pressure of clean room. In other words, it is preferredthat the processing station S3 has the highest positive pressure and theinspecting station S2 and the clean room have negative pressures. Thus,in a process of the system, foreign matter can be effectively suppressedfrom entering a wafer W. Such pressure adjustments can be performed byFFUs (Fan Filter Units) and exhausting mechanisms of the individualstations. In that case, by interposing a punched metal between the FFUor the exhausting mechanism and each station, adjusting the number ofholes of the punched metal and the size of each hole thereof,interposing a plurality of (for example, two) punched metals between theFFU or the exhausting mechanism and each station, or adjusting thepositions of the punched metals (namely, their overlapping state), thepressures can be adjusted.

In the above-described embodiment, for example, the inspecting stationS2 has the film thickness inspecting apparatuses 31 and the defectinspecting apparatuses 32 as inspecting portions. Alternatively, theinspecting station S2 may have only the defect inspecting apparatuses32. In this case, the inspecting portions can be disposed in the coatingand developing apparatus without need to change the process flow. Inother words, in the conventional coating and developing apparatus, atransferring flow for a wafer W has been designated. With reference toFIG. 2, a wafer W that has not been exposed is transferred from thecassette station S1 to the aligner S5 (namely, from the left to theright in the X direction shown in FIG. 2). A wafer W that has beenexposed is transferred from the aligner S5 to the cassette station S1(namely, from the right to the left in the X direction shown in FIG. 2).Thus, in the case that an inspecting portion that performs apredetermined inspection after the developing process as with the defectinspecting apparatuses 32, when the inspecting station S2 is disposedmidway between the cassette station S1 and the processing station S3,after the wafer W has been developed, a predetermined inspection can beperformed without an inconsistency of the above-described transferringflow of the wafer W.

In the above-described example, the cassette station S1, the inspectingstation S2, the processing station S3, and the interface station S4 canbe connected and disconnected with each other. In addition, even if theinspecting station S2 is rotated by 180°, since the inspecting stationS2 can access the cassette station S1 and the processing station S3, theflexibility of the layout is improved. In other words, in addition tothe layout of which the inspecting station S2 is disposed midway betweenthe cassette station S1 and the processing station S3, the layout ofwhich the inspecting station S2 is disposed midway between theprocessing station S3 and the interface station S4 can be performed.

In such a structure, a predetermined inspection is performed for a waferW that has been coated with resist. The structure is almost the same asthat shown in FIG. 1 except that the position of the inspecting stationS2 is different from that. In such a structure, between the processingstation S3 and the inspecting station S2, the main transfer mechanismMA1 of the inspecting station S2 transfers a wafer W through thetransferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R2 of the processing stationS3. Between the inspecting station S2 and the interface station S4, thetransfer mechanism A of the interface station S4 transfers a wafer Wthrough the transferring portion 33 of the inspecting station S2 and thetransferring opening 35 of the wall portion 34.

In addition, a wafer W is transferred in the following transferringflow. In other words, after the film thickness of bare silicon of awafer W has been measured, the transfer mechanism 23 places the wafer Won the transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R1 of the processingstation S3. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred in the path of thehydrophobic portion 45 of the shelf unit R, the cooling portion 44 ofthe shelf unit R, and the coating unit 42. The main transfer mechanismMA2 transfers the wafer W that has been coated with resist solution inthe path of the heating portion 43 of the shelf unit R, the coolingportion 44 of the shelf unit R, and the transferring portion 46 of theshelf unit R2. Thereafter, the main transfer mechanism MA1 of theinspecting station S2 transfers the wafer W to predetermined inspectingapparatuses such as a film thickness inspecting apparatus 31 and adefect inspecting apparatuses 32. The inspecting apparatuses inspect thefilm thickness of the resist film, the coated irregularities of resistsolution, the EBR cut width, and so forth of the wafer W.

The main transfer mechanism MA1 transfers the inspected wafer W to thetransferring portion 33. The transfer mechanism A of the interfacestation S4 takes the wafer W from the transferring portion 33 andtransfers the wafer W to the aligner S5. Thereafter, the exposed waferis transferred in the path of the transfer mechanism A of the interfacestation S4, the transferring portion 33 of the inspecting station S2,the main transfer mechanism MA1, the transferring portion 46 of theshelf unit R2 of the processing station S3, the main transfer mechanismMA2, the heating portion 43 of the shelf unit R, the cooling portion 44of the shelf unit R, the developing unit 41, the heating portion 43 ofthe shelf unit R, the cooling portion 44 of the shelf unit R, and thetransferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R1.

In the example, the exposed wafer W may be transferred from theinterface station S4 to the inspecting station S2. The inspectingstation S2 inspects the exposed state of the wafer W. Thereafter, thewafer W may be transferred to the processing station S3.

Thus, in the example, since the inspecting station S2 can be connectedand disconnected and can be disposed midway between the processingstation S3 and the interface station S4, when the film thickness of baresilicon of a wafer W has been measured, after the resist solution iscoated on the wafer W, a predetermined inspection can be performed forthe wafer W without an inconsistency of the transferring flow of thewafer W. On the other hand, when the inspecting station S2 is disposedmidway between the cassette station S1 and the processing station S3, ifa predetermined inspection is performed after the resist solution iscoated on a wafer W, it should be returned from the processing stationS3 to the inspecting station S2. Thus, the wafer W cannot be transferredwithout an inconsistency of the transferring flow.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10, an example of the layout of whichpredetermined inspections are performed after a resist solution iscoated and after a developing process is performed will be described. Inthe layout, a first processing station S6 that coats resist solution anda second processing station S7 that performs a developing process aredisposed. The inspecting station S2 is disposed midway between the firstprocessing station S6 and the second processing station S7. In otherwords, the cassette station S1, the first processing station S6, theinspecting station S2, the second processing station S7, the interfacestation S4, and the aligner S5 are laid out in succession.

Each of the first processing station S6 and the second processingstation S7 is almost the same as the above-described processing stationS3 except that processing units are composed of two coating units 42 asa first substrate processing portion and two developing units 41 as asecond substrate processing portion. In addition, the structure of theinspecting station S2 shown in FIG. 10 is almost the same as thestructure of the inspecting station S2 shown in FIG. 1. However, betweenthe first processing station S6 and the inspecting station S2, the maintransfer mechanism MA1 of the inspecting station S2 transfers a wafer Wthrough a transferring portion 46 of a shelf unit R2 of the firstprocessing station S6. Between the inspecting station S2 and the secondprocessing station S7, the main transfer mechanism MA1 of the inspectingstation S2 transfers a wafer W through a transferring portion 46 of thesecond processing station S7.

In such a structure, a wafer W is transferred in the followingtransferring flow. In other words, after the film thickness of baresilicon of the wafer W has been measured, the transfer mechanism 23places the wafer W to a transferring portion 46 of a shelf unit R1 ofthe first processing station S6. Thereafter, the main transfer mechanismMA2 transfers the wafer W in the path of a hydrophobic portion 45 of theshelf unit R, a cooling portion 44 of the shelf unit R, and a coatingunit 42. The main transfer mechanism MA2 transfers the wafer W that hasbeen coated with resist solution in the path of a heating portion 43 ofthe shelf unit R, a heating portion 43 of the shelf unit R, and atransferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R2. Thereafter, the maintransfer mechanism MA1 of the inspecting station S2 transfers the waferW to predetermined inspecting apparatuses such as a film thicknessinspecting apparatus 31 and a defect inspecting apparatuses 32 of theinspecting station S2.

The main transfer mechanism MA1 transfers the inspected wafer W to thetransferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R1 of the second processingstation S7. The main transfer mechanism MA2 of the second processingstation S7 transfers the wafer W to the transfer mechanism A of theinterface station S4 through the transferring portion 46. The transfermechanism A transfers the wafer W to the aligner S5. The exposed wafer Wis transferred in the path of the transfer mechanism A of the interfacestation S4, the transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R2 of thesecond processing station S7, the main transfer mechanism MA2, theheating portion 43 of the shelf unit R, the cooling portion 44 of theshelf unit R, the developing unit 41, the heating portion 43 of theshelf unit R, the cooling portion 44 of the shelf unit R, and thetransferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R1.

Thereafter, the main transfer mechanism MA1 of the inspecting station S2transfers the wafer W to predetermined inspecting apparatuses such as afilm thickness inspecting apparatus 31 and a defect inspectingapparatuses 32 of the inspecting station S2. The inspecting apparatusesperform the predetermined inspections for the wafer W.

The main transfer mechanism MA1 of the inspecting station S2 transfersthe inspected wafer W to the transferring portion 46 of the shelf unitR2 of the first processing station S6. Thereafter, the main transfermechanism MA2 transfers the wafer W to the original cassette 22 throughthe transferring portion 46 of the shelf unit R1.

In the example, since the inspecting station S2 can be connected anddisconnected and can be disposed midway between the first processingstation S6 and the second processing station S7, when the film thicknessof bare silicon of a wafer W has been measured, after the resistsolution is coated and the developing process is performed, apredetermined inspection can be performed without an inconsistency ofthe transferring flow.

Alternatively, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 11,two inspecting stations may be disposed. In this case, in the Xdirection, the cassette station S1, a first inspecting station S2-1, theprocessing station S3, a second inspecting station S2-2, the interfacestation S4, and the aligner S5 may be disposed in succession. In thiscase, after a film thickness inspecting apparatus 31 of the firstinspecting station S2-1 measures the film thickness of bare silicon of awafer W, the processing station S3 performs a hydrophobic process and aresist solution coating process for the wafer W. The second inspectingstation S2-2 performs a predetermined inspection for the wafer W thathas been coated with the resist solution.

Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the aligner S5 through theinterface station S4. The aligner S5 exposes the wafer W. The exposedwafer W is transferred to the second inspecting station S2-2 through theinterface station S4. The second inspecting station S2-2 inspects theexposed state of the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred tothe processing station S3. Thereafter, the processing station S3performs the developing process for the inspected wafer W. Thereafter,the first inspecting station S2-1 inspects the developed wafer W. Insuch a structure, since the wafer W is transferred in the path of thecassette station S1, the first inspecting station S2-1, the processingstation S3, the second inspecting station S2-2, the aligner S5, thesecond inspecting station S2-2, the processing station S3, the firstinspecting station S2-1, and the cassette station S1, the predeterminedinspection can be performed without an inconsistency of the transferringflow of the wafer W of the cassette station S1, the aligner S5, and thecassette station S1.

In addition, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 12,three inspecting stations may be disposed. In the X direction, thecassette station S1, the first inspecting station S2-1, the firstprocessing station S6 that performs a resist coating process, the secondinspecting station S2-2, the second processing station S7 that performsa developing process, a third inspecting station S2-3, the interfacestation S4, and the aligner S5 may be disposed in succession.

In this case, after a film thickness inspecting apparatus 31 of thefirst inspecting station S2-1 measures the film thickness of baresilicon of a wafer W, the first processing station S6 performs ahydrophobic process and a resist solution coating process for the waferW. The second inspecting station S2-2 (or the third inspecting stationS2-3) performs a predetermined inspection for the wafer W that has beencoated with resist solution.

Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the aligner S5 through thesecond processing station S7 and the interface station S4. The alignerS5 exposes the wafer W. The exposed wafer W is transferred to the thirdinspecting station S2-3 through the interface station S4. The thirdinspecting station S2-3 inspects the exposed state of the wafer W.Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the second processing stationS7. The second processing station S7 develops the wafer W. Thereafter,the second inspecting station S22 (or the first inspecting station S2-1)performs a predetermined inspection for the wafer W. In such astructure, a predetermined inspection can be performed for the wafer Wwithout an inconsistency of the transferring flow of the wafer W.

In addition, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 13,two inspecting stations may be disposed. In other words, in the Xdirection, the cassette station S1, the first processing station S6 thatperforms a resist coating process, the first inspecting station S2-1,the second processing station S7 that performs a developing process, thesecond inspecting station S2-2, the interface station S4, and thealigner S5 are disposed in succession.

In the case, after the film thickness of bare silicon of a wafer W ismeasured, the first processing station S6 performs a hydrophobic processand a resist solution coating process for the wafer W. The firstinspecting station S2-1 (or the second inspecting station S2-2) performsa predetermined inspection for the wafer W that has been coated withresist.

Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the aligner S5 through thesecond processing station S7 and the interface station S4. The alignerS5 exposes the wafer W. The exposed wafer W is transferred to the secondinspecting station S2-2 through the interface station S4. The secondinspecting station S2-2 inspects the exposed state of the wafer W.Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the second processing stationS7. The second processing station S7 develops the wafer W. Thereafter,the first inspecting station S2-1 performs a predetermined inspectionfor the developed wafer W. In such a structure, a predeterminedinspection can be performed for a wafer W without an inconsistency ofthe transferring flow of the wafer W.

Thus, according to the present invention, when the cassette station S1,the processing station S3, and the inspecting station S2 are disposedand the inspecting station S2 inspects the processed states of theresist solution coating process and the developing process for the waferW processed at processing station S3, those stations can be freely laidout.

In this case, the number of inspecting apparatuses of the inspectingstation S2 may be one or more. The types of the inspecting apparatusesmay be apparatuses that inspect particles, EBR widths, WEE widths,coated irregularities, developed irregularities, uncoated portion,undeveloped portion, line widths, exposed focus deviation, and so forthas well as a film thickness measuring apparatus and a defect measuringapparatus. In addition, as a holding portion, the space of theinspecting station may be used for a chemical unit C and/or an electricunit E depending on the type of a film formed on a wafer W.

In addition, the main transfer mechanism MA1 may not be disposed in theinspecting station S2. In this case, in the inspecting station S2, awafer W may be transferred by the transfer mechanism 23 of the cassettestation S1 and the main transfer mechanism MA2 of the processing stationS3.

In addition, when the inspecting station S2 can be freely connected toand disconnected from the cassette station S1, the processing stationS3, and so forth, it is not necessary to partition the inspectingstation S2 with the wall portion 34. In addition, the atmospherictemperature and humidity in the inspecting station S2 may not be alwaysadjusted to predetermined values.

In addition, instead of a hydrophobic process on the front surface of awafer W, a reflection protecting film may be formed thereon. Thesubstrate may be a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display insteadof a wafer. When the reflection protecting film is formed, an inspectingunit that detects the reflection ratio is disposed in the inspectingstation. Before a wafer W is exposed, the reflection ratio is detected.The information of the reflection ratio is supplied to the aligner. Thealigner controls the exposing process corresponding to the informationso that the wafer W is constantly exposed. For example, the alignercontrols the exposure time and exposure intensity corresponding to theinformation.

Thus, according to the present invention, since the substrate processingapparatus is structured by connecting an inspecting station having aninspecting portion to a processing station, the operation from asubstrate process to an inspection can be simplified and performed in ashort time.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view showing the interior of a coating anddeveloping apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention and the overall structure of a pattern forming system of whichthe aligner S5 is connected to the coating and developing apparatus 200.FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view showing the coating anddeveloping apparatus 200. The coating and developing apparatus 200 iscomposed of a carrier station 202, a processing station 203, aninterface station 204, and an inspecting station 205.

The carrier station 202 has a carrier loading/unloading portion (carrierstage) 221 and a first transfer mechanism 222. The carrier stage 221loads and unloads a wafer carrier as a transferring vessel (hereinafterreferred to as carrier) C to the coating and developing apparatus 200. Acarrier C contains a plurality of wafers W (for example, 25 substrates)in a shelf shape. The carrier stage 221 aligns for example four carriersC at predetermined positions in the X direction. The first transfermechanism 222 is a first transferring portion that transfers a wafer Wto and from a carrier C placed on the carrier stage 221. The firsttransfer mechanism 222 has an arm that can be moved forward and backwardagainst a pedestal that can be moved in the X and Z directions androtated around the vertical direction. In the example, the carrier stage221 also functions as an external carrier holding portion that loads acarrier that contains a wafer that has been processed (namely, on whicha resist pattern has been formed) by an external apparatus.

The processing station 203 is disposed adjacent to the carrier station202 in the Y direction. The processing station 203 has a wafertransferring portion 231 (hereinafter referred to as main transfermechanism). The main transfer mechanism 231 is disposed at a centerposition of the processing station 203. When the main transfer mechanism231 is viewed in the Y direction, shelves 232 and 233 are disposed onthe front and rear sides, respectively. Each of the shelves 232 and 233has a plurality of units disposed in the vertical direction. As shown inFIG. 16, each shelf has a heating unit 301, a cooling unit 302, analignment unit 303, a hydrophobic unit 304, transferring units 305 and306, and so forth. The heating unit 301 heats a wafer W. The coolingunit 302 cools a wafer W. The alignment unit 303 aligns a wafer W. Thehydrophobic unit 304 performs a hydrophobic process for a wafer W. Eachof the transferring units 305 and 306 has a stage on which a wafer W istransferred. The units of the shelves 232 and 233 shown in FIG. 16 arejust examples.

When viewed from the carrier station 202 to the processing station 203,on the right of the main transfer mechanism 231, two coating unit 234that are coating portions as lower units and two developing units 235that are developing portions as upper units are disposed. The maintransfer mechanism 231 can be elevated, rotated around the verticalaxis, and moved forward and backward. The main transfer mechanism 231transfers a wafer W between each unit of the shelves 232 and 233 andeach of the coating units 234 and developing units 235.

Each coating unit 234 holds a wafer W with for example a spin chuck,rotates the wafer W, supplies a resist at a center portion of the waferW, and spreads the resist on the wafer W using centrifugal force so asto coat the resist on the wafer W. The developing unit 235 coatsdeveloping solution on the front surface of the exposed wafer W so as todevelop the wafer W.

The interface station 204 comprises a transfer mechanism 241, aperiphery exposing unit 242, and a wafer holding shelf (not shown). Thetransfer mechanism 241 transfers a wafer W between the transferring unit306 of the shelf 233 and the aligner S5. The periphery exposing unit 242exposes the peripheral portion of a wafer W that has been exposed. Thewafer holding shelf buffers a wafer W. The periphery exposing unit 242removes resist from an exposed wafer W with developing solution toprevent resist on the periphery of the wafer W from peeling off (asparticles). The periphery exposing unit 242 has an X-Y stage and analigner. The X-Y stage can hold a wafer W and can be moved in the X andY directions.

The inspecting station 205 is disposed adjacent to the carrier station202 in the X direction. The inspecting station 205 has a plurality ofinspecting portions 206 that inspect a processed wafer W. The inspectingportions 206 are disposed in the vertical direction. The inspectingportions 206 inspect coated state of resist on a wafer W, exposed stateof an exposed wafer W, and an exposed state on the front surface f adeveloped wafer W. In reality, the inspecting portions 206 inspect forexample line widths of resist pattern, matching of resist pattern andbase film, developing defects, coated irregularities of resist, andexposed state.

In the example, there are three stages of inspecting portions 206.However, the number of stages of inspecting portions 206 is not limitedto three as long as it is one or more. In the following description,each inspecting portion is referred to as pattern inspecting portion.Each pattern inspecting portion 206 has a structure as shown in FIG. 4.

The inspecting station 205 has an auxiliary transfer mechanism 251 andan intermediate holding portion 252. The auxiliary transfer mechanism251 is an auxiliary transferring portion that transfers a wafer W to andfrom each pattern inspecting portion 206. The auxiliary transfermechanism 251 is composed of a pedestal and an arm. The pedestal can bemoved in the Z direction and rotated around the vertical axis. The armcan be moved forward and backward. The intermediate holding portion 252temporarily holds a wafer W when it is transferred between the auxiliarytransfer mechanism 251 and the first transfer mechanism 222 of thecarrier station 202. The inspecting station 205 is fully surrounded witha housing. Casters are disposed at a bottom portion of the inspectingstation 205. Thus, the inspecting station 205 can be connected to anddisconnected from the carrier station 202.

As shown in FIG. 17, the intermediate holding portion 252 has manyshoulder portions 253 that hold many (for example, 25) wafers W. Inaddition, the intermediate holding portion 252 has two open sides fromwhich the transfer mechanism 222 and the auxiliary transfer mechanism251 access (transfer) a wafer W. Since the intermediate holding portion252 can hold many wafers W, when the throughput of the processingstation 203 is higher than the throughput of the inspecting station 205,the intermediate holding portion 252 functions as so-called a buffer.Thus, the total throughput of the apparatus can be prevented from beingaffected by the throughput of the inspecting station 205.

Although the transfer mechanism 222 and the auxiliary transfer mechanism251 can access a wafer W at any stage of the intermediate holdingportion 252, to do that, it is necessary that the transfer mechanism 222and the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251 to be informed at what stageswafers W are held. Thus, mapping sensors composed of light reflectionsensors should be disposed in the transfer mechanism 222 and theauxiliary transfer mechanism 251. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 18, atwo-staged holding table may be disposed in a multi-staged holding table254. In this case, the lower-stage side is used as a loading stage 255that dedicatedly transfers a pre-inspected wafer W from the transfermechanism 222 to the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251. The upper-stageside is used as an unloading stage 256 that dedicatedly transfers aninspected wafer W from the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251 to thetransfer mechanism 222. In reality, a wafer W is placed on threeprotrusions 250. Below the three protrusions 250, spaces for the arms222 and 251 are formed. In such a structure, since the positions at theauxiliary transfer mechanism 251 takes a wafer W and leaves it aredesignated, the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251 does not need themapping sensors.

On the lower side of the loading/unloading station 221 of the carrierstation 202 and at a bottom portion of the inspecting station 205, asshown in FIGS. 15 and 16, for example, a total of three chemical units223 are disposed. Each chemical unit 223 has a housing 224 (see FIG. 16)and a vessel 225. The housing 224 has two doors that can be opened andclosed in the near side and far side in the Y direction. The vessel 225is disposed in the housing 224. The vessel 225 contains resist solutionused for the coating unit 234 or developing solution used for thedeveloping unit 235. In addition, the housing 224 may contain a pump, afilter, and a valve disposed in the supply path of resist solution(developing solution). The coating and developing apparatus isdesignated in a size as small as possible. Therefore, it is difficult toprepare a space for the vessel that contains process solution.Consequently, the vessel is disposed outside the apparatus. Thus, it isadvantageous to dispose the vessel at the bottom of the inspectingstation 205 from a view point of the effective use of the space in theloading/unloading stage 221 or the inspecting station 205.

Next, with reference to FIG. 19, a controlling system of the coating anddeveloping apparatus according to the embodiment will be described. InFIG. 19, reference numeral 271 represents a program storing portion. Theprogram storing portion 271 stores a regular process program and aninspecting portion dedicated operation program. Reference numeral 272represents a mode selecting portion. The mode selecting portion 272selects the regular operation mode or inspecting portion dedicatedoperation mode. The mode selecting portion 272 is disposed in forexample an operation panel portion on the outer surface of the coatingand developing apparatus. When the regular operation mode is selected, adata processing portion 273 reads the regular process program andthereby the stations 202, 203, 204, and 205 operate. When the inspectingportion dedicated operation mode is selected, the data processingportion 273 reads the inspecting portion dedicated operation program andthereby the carrier station 202 and the inspecting station 205 operate.In FIG. 19, reference numeral 270 represents a bus.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described. First of all,it is assumed that the regular operation mode has been selected by themode selecting portion 272. A carrier C that contains for example 25wafers W on which a resist pattern is formed is transferred from theoutside of the apparatus to the carrier loading/unloading portion 221.The transfer mechanism 222 takes a wafer W from the carrier C. The waferW is transferred from the transfer mechanism 222 to the main arm 222through the transferring unit 305 of the shelf 232. The wafer W issuccessively transferred to each processing unit of the shelf 232 (or233). The individual units perform a hydrophobic process, a coolingprocess, and so forth for the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W istransferred to the coating unit 234. The coating unit 234 coats resiston the wafer W. Thereafter, a heating process is performed for the waferW. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred from the transferring unit 306of the shelf 233 to the aligner S5 through the interface station 204.

The wafer W exposed in the aligner S5 is returned to the processingstation 203 in the reverse path. The main transfer mechanism 231transfers the wafer W to the developing unit 235. The developing unit235 develops the wafer W. In more detail, before the developing processis performed for the wafer W, a heating process and a cooling processare performed for the wafer W. The developed wafer W is transferred tothe transfer mechanism 222 in the reverse path. Thereafter, the wafer Wis transferred to the intermediate holding portion 252. At that point,when one of the inspecting portions 206 is free, the wafer W held in theintermediate holding portion 252 is transferred to the patterninspecting portion 206 by the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251. Incontrast, when all the pattern inspecting portions 206 are not free, theauxiliary transfer mechanism 251 waits until one of them becomes free.After the wafer W that has been inspected is transferred to theintermediate holding portion 252, the wafer W held in the intermediateholding portion 252 is transferred to the pattern inspecting portion206. The inspecting portion 206 inspects pattern line widths, matchingof pattern and base film, developed irregularities, develop defects, andso forth for the wafer W. When the inspected result of the pattern issuccessful, the wafer W is returned to the original carrier C throughthe auxiliary transfer mechanism 251, the intermediate holding portion252, and the transfer mechanism 222. When the inspected result of thepattern is not successful, the inspecting portion 206 marks the wafer Was an NG wafer. Thereafter, the NG wafer W is returned to the originalcarrier C or an NG water holding portion (not shown) in the inspectingstation 205 or the carrier station 202. In the embodiment, the case thatthe front surface of a wafer W is inspected after a developing processwas described. However, the inspections can be performed before acoating process, after a coating process, or after an exposing process.

Next, the case that the inspecting portion dedicated operation mode isselected by the mode selecting portion 272 and the apparatus is operatedwith the inspecting portion dedicated operation program will bedescribed. The inspecting portion dedicated operation mode is selectedwhen the resist process is not performed for a wafer W (namely, theprocessing station 203 is not used) or when a maintenance operation forthe processing station 203, the interface station 204, or the aligner S5is performed. In the mode, a carrier C that contains a wafer W that isinspected is transferred from the outside of the coating and developingapparatus to the loading/unloading stage 221. The position at which thecarrier C is loaded may be limited to the position of the carrier Cclosest to the inspecting portions 206. Alternatively, the carrier C maybe placed at one of four positions of the loading/unloading stage 221.When the carrier C is transferred to the loading/unloading stage 221,the transfer mechanism 222 takes a wafer W from the carrier C andtransfers the wafer W to a pattern inspecting portion 206 in theabove-described manner. In this case, using the carrier station 202,only the inspecting station 205 is operated.

According to the embodiment, since the inspecting station 205 isadjacently connected to the carrier station 202 and a developed wafer Wis transferred to a pattern inspecting portion 206 in line, the patternof the wafer W can be inspected in the coating and developing apparatuswithout need to convey the wafer W to the outside of the apparatus.Thus, the throughput of the apparatus is improved. In addition, theinspected result of the pattern can be displayed using the operatingportion of the coating and developing apparatus. Thus, the recipes ofthe aligner S5, the developing unit 235, and so forth can be quicklyreviewed.

Since the inspecting portion dedicated operation program is provided aswell as the regular process program, while the coating process and thedeveloping process are not performed (for example, when a maintenanceoperation is performed for the processing station 203), using thetransfer mechanism 222 of the carrier station 202, only a patterninspecting portion 206 can be operated. Thus, the pattern of a waferthat is brought from the outside of the apparatus can be inspected. Atthat point, since a carrier C that contains the wafer W is loaded andunloaded by the loading/unloading stage 221, the carrier can betransferred by an automatic transferring robot (or automatic guidedvehicle AGV).

When the length in the X direction of the coating and developingapparatus is larger than the length in the X direction of the aligner S5and the side on which the coating unit 234 is disposed is arranged, asshown in FIG. 14, on the opposite side, the aligner S5 protrudes. Thearea beside the coating and developing apparatus corresponding to theprotruded area becomes an unused extra space. However, when theinspecting station 205 is disposed on the protruded side of the alignerS5, the unused extra space can be effectively used.

Sometimes, the film thickness of resist of a final wafer at intervals ofa predetermined number of wafers may be inspected. Alternatively, thefilm thickness of resist of a monitor wafer may be periodicallyinspected. In addition, the film thickness of a film such aspoly-silicon or silicon oxide on a wafer W may be inspected. For thispurpose, a film thickness measuring portion is integrated with theperiphery exposing unit 242. Alternatively, the film thickness measuringportion may be integrated with a pattern inspecting portion 206 ordisposed in the inspecting station 205. When the film thicknessmeasuring portion is integrated with the inspecting portion 206, a filmthickness sensor that receives spectrum of reflected light from a waferW may be disposed beside the CCD camera 120 shown in FIG. 4.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described.FIGS. 20 and 21 show an example of which the intermediate holdingportion 252 disposed midway between the first transfer mechanism 222 andthe auxiliary transfer mechanism 251 is disposed on the carrier station202 side. In the example, the intermediate holding portion 252 isdisposed at a position higher than the arrangement of carries C on theloading/unloading stage 221 by one stage. In this case, the transfermechanism 222 takes a wafer W whose pattern has been inspected from theintermediate holding portion 252. Thereafter, the first transfermechanism 222 lowers and transfers the wafer W to a carrier C. In thiscase, the length in the Y direction of the inspecting station 205 can beshortened. FIG. 22 shows an example of which the intermediate holdingportion 252 is disposed at the same height as the arrangement ofcarriers C on the loading/unloading stage 221, the intermediate holdingportion 252 being disposed between the carrier station 202 and theinspecting station 205.

According to the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 23, an external carrierholding portion 208 composed of a guide portion that aligns a carrier Cmay be disposed on the intermediate holding portion 252. In theinspecting portion dedicated operation mode, a carrier C that contains awafer W whose resist pattern has been formed outside of the apparatusmay be placed on the external carrier holding portion 208.

FIGS. 24 and 25 show an example of which the external carrier holdingportion 208 having the carrier aligning portion is disposed in theinspecting station 206 in the structure shown in FIG. 23. The externalcarrier holding portion 208 is disposed in the same height as forexample the carrier loading/unloading portion 221 and faces thetransferring path of the automatic transferring robot AGV. The automatictransferring robot AGV loads and unloads a carrier C. In this case, awafer W contained in a carrier C placed on the external carrier holdingportion 208 is directly taken by the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251and transferred to the pattern inspecting portion 206. Thus, a wafer Wcan be inspected in a apparatus rather than the coating and developingapparatus in the same clean room.

The schematic plan view of the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251corresponds to the drawing of the transfer mechanism 222. This isbecause when the intermediate holding portion 252 is structured as amulti-staged holding table (see FIG. 17), mapping sensors are required.When the intermediate holding portion 252 has a dedicated loading stageand a dedicated unloading stage as shown in FIG. 18, the intermediateholding portion 252 is structured as a transfer mechanism that does nothave mapping sensors.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 26, when only a patterninspecting portion 206 is used, an external substrate loading/unloadingstation 209 that loads and unloads a wafer W from/to the outside of theapparatus can be connected and disconnected between the carrier station202 and the inspecting station 205. The external substrateloading/unloading station 209 is disposed at the position facing thetransferring path of the automatic transferring robot AGV. The externalsubstrate loading/unloading station 209 has the external carrier holdingportion 208 and a second transfer mechanism 291. The automatictransferring robot AGV loads and unloads a carrier C from/to theexternal carrier holding portion 208. The second transfer mechanism 291is a second transferring portion that transfers a wafer W to and fromthe external carrier holding portion 208.

The inspecting station 205 has an intermediate holding portion 258 onwhich a wafer W is transferred between the auxiliary transfer mechanism251 and the second transfer mechanism 291. Although the intermediateholding portion 258 may be structured as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, inthe example, since the intermediate holding portion 252 having themulti-staged holding table is disposed in the carrier station 202, theintermediate holding portion 258 is composed of for example a loadingstage and an unloading stage.

According to the embodiment, in the regular operation mode, after eachprocess is performed (for example, after a coating process, after anexposing process, or after a developing process), a wafer W istransferred in the path of the first transfer mechanism 222, theintermediate holding portion 252, the second transfer mechanism 291, theintermediate holding portion 258, the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251,and the pattern inspecting portion 206. In the inspecting portiondedicated operation mode, a wafer W contained in a carrier C placed onthe external carrier holding portion 208 is transferred in the path ofthe second transfer mechanism 291, the intermediate holding portion 258,the auxiliary transfer mechanism 251, and the pattern inspecting portion206.

In the method for transferring a wafer W that has been developed in theprocessing station 203 to the inspecting station 205, a transfermechanism that directly transfers the wafer W from the processingstation 203 to the inspecting station 205 may be disposed instead ofusing the transfer mechanism 222. The substrate is not limited to awafer. Instead, the wafer may be a glass substrate for a liquid crystaldisplay.

The transfer mechanism 222 may have a first arm 401 and a second arm 402as an upper arm and a lower arm, respectively, as shown in FIG. 27. Thefirst arm 401 as the upper arm has a higher centering accuracy than thesecond arm 402 as the lower arm.

The centering accuracy represents the degree of an accuracy of which awafer W is transferred from an arm to a desired position of a apparatus(holding portion). The higher accuracy parts that compose the arm have,the higher the centering accuracy is.

According to the embodiment, the first arm 401 having a higher centeringaccuracy loads a wafer W from the intermediate holding portion 258 tothe pattern inspecting portion 206. In contrast, the second arm 402having a lower centering accuracy unloads a wafer W from the patterninspecting portion 206 to the intermediate holding portion 258.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 27, when the transfer mechanism 222 is structuredas a two-staged arm, a wafer W can be effectively and quicklytransferred between the intermediate holding portion 258 and the patterninspecting portion 206. In addition, since the accuracy of the first arm401 is higher than the accuracy of the second arm 402, a wafer W can bemore accurately inspected. Moreover, transfer mechanism 222 can beinexpensively produced.

As was described above, according to the present invention, since thepattern inspection and so forth can be performed in the coating anddeveloping apparatus, the throughput of the apparatus is improved. Whena maintenance operation is performed for the processing station thatperforms coating and developing processes or when the coating anddeveloping processes are stopped, only the inspecting portion can beused. Thus, the pattern inspection and so forth can be performed for awafer W brought from the outside of the apparatus.

According to the above-described embodiment, the inspecting station 205is connected to the carrier station 202. As shown in FIG. 28, theinspecting station 205 may be connected to the processing station 203.As shown in FIG. 29, the inspecting station 205 may be connected to theinterface station 204. Alternatively in the structure of which theinspecting station 205 is connected to the carrier station 202, anotherinspecting station may be connected to the processing station 203.Furthermore, another inspecting station may be connected to theinterface station 204.

As shown in FIG. 30, the inspecting station 205 may be connected to theinterface station S4 in the structure shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 31, the inspecting station 205 may be connected to thecassette station S1 in the structure shown in FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 32, the inspecting station 205 may be connected to theinterface station S4 in the structure shown in FIG. 11.

In addition, according to the present invention, besides such systemstructures, various combinations are available.

The above-described inspecting apparatus may be disposed in a specialstation. Alternatively, the inspecting apparatus may be disposed at aparticular position of the coating and developing apparatus.Alternatively, the inspecting apparatus may be disposed instead of eachunit. Alternatively, the inspecting apparatus may be used along with theabove-described inspecting station.

FIGS. 33 and 34 show an example of which an inspecting apparatus 501 isdisposed in the cassette station S1. A FFU 502 (Fun Filter Unit) isdisposed at an upper portion of the cassette station S1. An exhaustingmechanism 503 is disposed at a lower portion of the cassette station S1.In this case, an inspecting apparatus 501 is disposed in the cassettestation S1 and connected to another exhausting mechanism 504. In thiscase, it is preferred to satisfy the relation of inner pressure ofprocessing station S3>inner pressure of cassette station S1>innerpressure of inspecting apparatus 501>inner pressure of clean room. Inother words, it is preferred that the processing station S3 has thehighest positive pressure and the inspecting apparatus 501 and the cleanroom have negative pressures. Thus, in a process of the system, foreignmatter can be effectively suppressed from entering a wafer W. Suchpressure adjustments can be performed by FFUs and exhausting mechanismsof the individual stations. In that case, by interposing a punched metalbetween the FFU or the exhausting mechanism and each station, adjustingthe number of holes of the punched metal and the size of each holethereof, interposing a plurality of (for example, two) punched metalsbetween the FFU or the exhausting mechanism and each station, oradjusting the positions of two punched metals 701 and 702 (namely, theiroverlapping state of holes 703 and 704), the pressures can be adjusted.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 36 is a schematic, perspective view showing the overall structureof a coating and developing system according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. In the coating and developing system, a coating anddeveloping apparatus 600 is connected to the aligner S5. FIG. 37 is aplan view showing the interior of the system. In FIGS. 36 and 37,reference numeral 601 represents a cassette station. Reference numeral602 represents a processing station. Reference numeral 603 represents aninterface station.

The cassette station 601 loads and unloads wafer cassettes (hereinafterreferred to as cassettes) C. Each cassette C contains a plurality ofwafers W (for example 25 substrates) in a shelf shape. The cassettestation 601 has a cassette stage 621, cassettes C, and a transfermechanism 622. The cassette stage 621 is a holding portion that holdsfor example four cassettes C. The cassettes C are placed on the cassettestage 621. The transfer mechanism 622 is a transferring portion thattransfers a wafer W to and from the processing station 602 (that will bedescribed later). The transfer mechanism 622 can be elevated, moved inthe X and Y directions, and rotated around the vertical axis.

The processing station 602 is disposed in the direction approximatelyperpendicular to the direction of the disposition of the cassettes C onthe cassette station 601 (namely, in the X direction of FIG. 37) andconnected to the cassette station 601. The processing station 602 has adeveloping unit 631, a coating unit 632, an inspecting unit 604, a maintransfer mechanism MA, and a shelf unit R. The developing unit 631 andthe coating unit 632 compose a substrate processing portion. Theinspecting unit 604 has a plurality of inspecting portions that inspectthe processed states of a wafer W. A wafer W is transferred between thecassette station 601 and the interface station 603. The processingstation 602 performs a resist solution coating process, a developingprocess, a heating process, a cooling process, and an inspecting processfor a wafer W. The processing station 602 perform the heating process orthe cooling process after or before the developing process and theresist solution coating process. The processing station 602 inspects theprocessed states for the predetermined processes for a wafer W.

Next, an example of the layout of the processing station 602 will bedescribed. For example, at the center of the processing station 602, themain transfer mechanism MA is disposed. When viewed from the cassettestage 621, shelf units R1 and R2 are disposed on the near side and thefar side of the main transfer mechanism MA.

When viewed from the cassette stage 621, on the right side, a processingunit U is disposed in two stages. The processing unit U has onedeveloping unit 631, two coating units 632, and one inspecting unit 604.In the example, one developing unit 631 and one inspecting unit 604 asupper staged units and two coating units 632 as lower staged units aredisposed. The main transfer mechanism MA transfers a wafer W among thedeveloping unit 631, the coating units 632, the inspecting unit 604, andthe shelf units R1 and R2. As will be described later, the main transfermechanism MA can be elevated, moved leftward and rightward, movedforward and backward, and rotated around the vertical axis. Forsimplicity, the main transfer mechanism MA is omitted in FIG. 36.

FIG. 38 is a perspective view showing the inspecting unit 604. FIG. 39is a sectional view showing the inspecting unit 604. Referring to FIGS.38 and 39, the inspecting unit 604 has a transferring stage 605 and anauxiliary transfer mechanism A. The transferring stage 605 transfers awafer W between the inspecting apparatus 640 and the main transfermechanism MA. The auxiliary transfer mechanism A is a dedicatedauxiliary transfer mechanism that transfers a wafer W between thetransferring stage 605 and the inspecting apparatus 640.

The transferring stage 605 is an inspecting substrate holding portionthat transfers a wafer W to and from the main transfer mechanism MA. Thetransferring stage 605 is disposed at the position that the maintransfer mechanism MA can access a wafer W. In addition, thetransferring stage 605 has a plurality of (for example, three)protrusions 651 a on a vessel 651 that contains a wafer W. Theprotrusions 651 a are formed at positions that do not interfere with anarm 671 (that will be described later) of the main transfer mechanism MAand an arm A1 of the auxiliary transfer mechanism A that transfer awafer W to and from the transferring stage 605.

The arm 671 and the arm A1 that hold a wafer W lower and transfer thewafer W to the protrusions 651 a between the transferring stage 605 andeach of the main transfer mechanism MA and the transfer mechanism A. Inaddition, the arm 671 and the arm A1 rise from the lower side of thewafer W on the protrusions 651 a and pick it up. Thus, the height of theprotrusions 651 a is larger than the thickness of each of the arm 671and the arm A1 so that when the protrusions 651 a hold the wafer W, thearm 671 and the arm A1 can move forward and backward by a predeterminedvalue.

The lower side of the transferring stage 605 (namely, the vessel 651) isstructured as a wafer holding portion 650 that holds a predeterminednumber of wafers W in a shelf shape. The wafer holding portion 650 is asubstrate holding portion. The wafer holding portion 650 has an openside facing the main transfer mechanism MA so that it can transfer awafer W to and from the vessel 651 having shoulder portions 652 thathold peripheral portions of wafers W and that are formed atpredetermined intervals, therefore, wafer W is disposed in verticaldirection.

Between the wafer holding portion 650 and the main transfer mechanismMA, the arm 671 that holds a wafer W lowers from the upper side of theshoulder portions 652 and transfers the wafer W to one of the shoulderportions 652. The arm 671 rises from the lower side of the wafers W ofthe shoulder portions 652 and picks it up. Thus, the size and theintervals of the shoulder portions 652 are designated so that the arm671 does not interfere with the shoulder portions 652. In addition, thenumber of shoulders of the shoulder portions 652 depends on theinspecting process time and the transferring intervals of wafers W ofthe coating and developing apparatus 600.

The inspecting apparatus 640 has a plurality of (for example, three)inspecting portions 641 (641A, 641B, and 641C) at positions that thetransfer mechanism A can access. For simplicity, FIG. 48 shows an imageof which a wafer W is transferred between the transferring stage 605 andthe inspecting apparatus 640.

The three inspecting portions 641 are a line width inspecting apparatus641A that inspects for example developed line widths, a matchinginspecting apparatus 641B that inspects the matching of the upper layerresist pattern and the base pattern, and a defect inspecting apparatus641C that inspects scratches on the front surface of the resist film(scratch detection), presence/absence of foreign matter contained inresist solution (comet detection), and developed irregularities anddeveloping defects. The auxiliary transfer mechanism A transfers a waferW between each of the inspecting portions 641A, 641B, and 641C and thewafer holding portion 650 through wafer transferring openings 642A,642B, and 642C, respectively.

The line width inspecting apparatus 641A, the matching inspectingapparatus 641B, and the defect inspecting apparatus 641C perform thepredetermined inspections using for example a CCD camera as shown inFIG. 4.

The transfer mechanism A transfers a wafer W between the transferringstage and each inspecting portion 641. As with the transfer mechanism622, the auxiliary transfer mechanism A1 can be elevated, moved in the Xand Y directions, and rotated around the vertical axis.

It is not always necessary to dispose the inspecting apparatus 640 inthe processing unit U. Instead, as long as the main transfer mechanismMA can access the transferring stage 605, the inspecting unit 640 may bedisposed at any position of the processing station 602. In addition, aslong as a wafer W can be transferred between the main transfer mechanismMA and the inspecting portions 641, the inspecting unit 640 can bedisposed at any position and the number of inspecting portions 641 maybe more or less than three. The types of inspecting portions 641 are notlimited to the above examples. In other words, for example, a filmthickness inspecting apparatus, a defocus inspecting apparatus thatinspects the deviation of an exposed pattern position, a particleinspecting apparatus that detects the number of particles that adhere toa wafer, a splash back inspecting apparatus that inspects whether or notsolvent of resist solution that splashes from the front surface of awafer re-adheres to the wafer, a common defect detecting apparatus thatdetects a common defect that takes place at the same position in thesame shape on wafers, a scum detecting apparatus that detects a resistscum that leaves on a developed wafer, a cramping inspecting apparatus,a non-resist inspecting apparatus, a non-develop inspecting apparatus,and so forth may be disposed. In addition to the transferring stage 605,the main transfer mechanism MA may transfer a wafer W to and from eachinspecting portion 641.

As shown in FIG. 40, the shelf unit R1 has a heating portion 661 thatheats a wafer W, a cooling portion 662 that cools a wafer W, ahydrophobic portion 663 that performs a hydrophobic process for thefront surface of a wafer W, a transferring portion 664 having atransferring table on which a wafer W is transferred between thetransfer mechanism 622 of the cassette station 601 and the main transfermechanism MA of the processing station 602, and an alignment portion 665that aligns a wafer W that are disposed in the vertical direction. Theshelf unit R2 has a plurality of CHP apparatuses 666 (Chilling Hot PlateProcessing stations) that heat and cool a wafer W, a transferringportion 667 that has a transferring table on which a wafer W istransferred between a transfer mechanism of an interface station 603(that will be described later) and the main transfer mechanism MA of theprocessing station 602, and so forth that are disposed in the verticaldirection. The apparatuses shown in FIG. 40 are just examples. In otherwords, a heating portion and a cooling portion may be disposed ondifferent shelves. In addition, when viewed from the cassette station601, on the left, shelf units similar to the shelf units R1 and R2 maybe slidably disposed along a guide rail.

The developing unit 631 is structured as shown in for example FIG. 7.The main transfer mechanism MA is structured as shown in for exampleFIG. 8.

In the processing station 602, the main transfer mechanism MA accessesthe developing unit 631, the coating unit 632, the transferring stage605 of the inspecting unit 604, and each portion of the shelf units R.The individual portions are accessed and their processes are started andcompleted at timings corresponding to a program stored in a controllingportion (not shown).

The interface station 603 is adjacently connected to the processingstation 602 in the X direction. On the far side of the interface station603, the aligner S5 is connected. The aligner S5 exposes a wafer W onwhich a resist film has been formed. The interface station 603 has atransfer mechanism 676 that transfers a wafer W between the processingstation 602 and the aligner S5. To transfer a wafer W between thetransferring portion 667 of the shelf unit R2 of the processing station602 and the aligner S5, the transfer mechanism 676 can be elevated,moved leftward and rightward, moved forward and backward, and rotatedaround the vertical axis.

In the method according to the present invention, an example of which adeveloping process and a predetermined inspection are performed for afirst wafer W of a predetermined number of wafers W contained in acassette C will be described in the case that the throughput of theinspecting unit 604 is 60 sheets/hour and the throughput of the coatingand developing apparatus 600 is 150 sheets/hour.

In the example, the process time of the inspecting portion is equivalentto the throughput of the inspecting unit 604, whereas the unloadingintervals of substrates from the substrate processing portion areequivalent to the throughput of the coating and developing apparatus600. When the throughput of the inspecting unit 604 is 60 sheets/hour,it takes 60 seconds to perform the inspection for one wafer W. When thethroughput of the coating and developing apparatus 600 is 150sheets/hour, the transferring intervals of wafers W of the coating anddeveloping apparatus 600 are 24 seconds.

In the example, the throughput of the inspecting unit 604 is calculatedcorresponding to a time period for which a wafer W on the transferringstage 605 is successively transferred to the line width inspectingapparatus 641A, the matching inspecting apparatus 641B, and the defectinspecting apparatus 641C, processed therein, and then returned to thetransferring stage 605.

First of all, the flow of a wafer W in the coating and developingapparatus 600 will be described. A cassette C that contains for example25 non-processed wafers W is transferred to the cassette stage 621 by anautomatic transferring robot (or an operator). The transfer mechanism622 successively takes wafers W from the cassette C and places them tothe transferring portion 664 of the shelf unit R1 of the processingstation 602 without an inconsistency of the order of wafers W containedin the cassette C.

Each wafer W is transferred to the main transfer mechanism MA of theprocessing station 602 and then transferred to the coating unit 632. Thecoating unit 632 coats resist solution on the wafer W. Thereafter, thewafer W is transferred from the main transfer mechanism MA to thealigner S5 through the transferring portion 667 of the shelf unit R2 andthe transfer mechanism 676 of the interface station 603.

Before resist solution is coated to the wafer W, the individual portionsof the shelf units R perform a hydrophobic process and a cooling processfor the wafer W. After resist solution is coated to the wafer W, theindividual portions of the shelf units R perform a heating process and acooling process for the wafer W. Depending on the type of the resist, aparticular unit (not shown) coats a reflection protection film to thewafer W instead of performing the hydrophobic process.

The exposed wafer W is transferred to the processing station 602 in thereverse path. The developing unit 631 performs a developing process forthe wafer W. Before and after the developing process, the CHP apparatus666, the heating portion 661, and the cooling portion 662 of the shelfunits R perform a heating process and a cooling process for the wafer W.

The first wafer W of wafers that have been developed is successivelytransferred to each of the inspecting portions 641 of the inspectingapparatus 640 through the transferring stage 605 of the inspecting unit604 and the auxiliary transfer mechanism A by the main transfermechanism MA. The inspecting portions 641 perform the predeterminedinspections for the wafer W. In the example, an inspecting wafer W isselected from a predetermined number of wafers. For example, one wafer Wis selected as an inspecting wafer for each cassette C. For example, thefirst wafer W contained in each cassette C becomes an inspecting wafer.

The present invention has a feature in the transferring method for awafer W in the inspecting unit 604. Next, the method will be described.As shown in FIG. 41A, after a developing process and a heating processare performed for an inspecting wafer W as the first wafer contained ina cassette C, the inspecting wafer W is placed on the transferring stage605 of the inspecting unit 604 by the main transfer mechanism MA.Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 41B, the wafer W is transferred to each ofthe inspecting portions 641 by the transfer mechanism A. The line widthinspecting apparatus 641A inspects the developed line widths for thewafer W. The matching inspecting apparatus 641B inspects the matching ofthe upper layer resist pattern and the base pattern of the wafer W. Thedefect inspecting apparatus 641C inspects the developed irregularitiesand the developing defects for the wafer W.

Since the time period for the inspection for the wafer W1 is 60 secondsand the transferring intervals of wafers W of the coating and developingapparatus 600 are 24 seconds, as shown in FIG. 41C, while the wafer W isbeing inspected, the second wafer W2 of the cassette C is transferred tothe wafer holding portion 650 by the main transfer mechanism MA. Sincethe inspection for the wafer W1 has not been completed, as sown in FIG.41D, while the wafer W1 is being inspected, the third wafer W3 istransferred to the wafer holding portion 650 by the main transfermechanism MA.

The number of wafers W transferred to the wafer holding portion 650 bythe main transfer mechanism MA depends on the inspection time period ofthe inspecting unit 604 and the throughput of the coating and developingapparatus 600. While the inspection is being performed for theinspecting wafer W1, after the predetermined pre-inspection process iscompleted for all wafers W, they are transferred to the wafer holdingportion 650 in the order of those contained in the cassette C.

As shown in FIG. 42A, after a predetermined inspection has beencompleted for the wafer W1, it is transferred to the transferring stage605 by the auxiliary transfer mechanism A. As shown in FIG. 42B, themain transfer mechanism MA transfers the wafer W1 to the cassette stage621 through the transferring portion of the shelf units R. When theinspected result is successful, the wafer W1 is returned to the originalcassette C. When the inspected result is not successful, the wafer W1 isplaced in an unsuccessful wafer cassette C1. Alternatively, all wafers Wmay be returned to the original cassette C. Information of inspectedresult may be controlled corresponding to software.

Since the fourth wafer W4 is transferred 72 seconds after the firstwafer W1, after the main transfer mechanism MA transfers the first waferW1, before the wafer W4 is transferred, as shown in FIGS. 42C and 42D,the second wafer W2 and the third wafer W3 are transferred to the samecassette C as the wafer W1 in the order of the wafers contained therein.After the developing process, the heating process, and the coolingprocess are performed for the fourth wafer W4 to the last wafer W, theyare returned to the same cassette C as the wafer W1 in the order of thewafers contained therein.

The cassette C that contains wafers W that have been successful in theinspection is transferred to the next step. In contrast, the cassette C1that contains wafers W that have not been successful in the inspectionis transferred to a cleaning portion (not shown). The cleaning portiondissolves the resist from each wafer W and restores it to the statebefore it is transferred to the coating and developing apparatus 600.

According to the present invention, since the inspecting unit 604 isintegrated with the coating and developing apparatus 600, it is notnecessary to convey wafers W. In addition, it is not necessary to causewafers W processed in an external coating and developing apparatus 600to wait for an inspection, the throughput is improved.

In addition, one operator can supervise the coating and developingprocess and the inspection and know the inspected results on real timebasis. Thus, when the operator is informed of a defect in an inspection,he or she can seek the cause and take a proper action therefore.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the inspectingunit 604 is integrated with the processing station 602, in addition tothe case that the inspection is performed after the developing process,even in the case that a predetermined inspection is performed after theresist solution coating process or the exposing process is performed,the inspection can be performed without need to change the process flow.In other words, in the conventional coating and developing apparatus,the transferring flow for wafers W is fixed. A non-exposed wafer W istransferred from the cassette station 601 to the aligner S5 (namely,from the left to right in the X direction). An exposed wafer W istransferred from the cassette station 601 to the aligner S5 in thereverse direction (namely, from right to left in the X direction).

Thus, in the case that the inspecting unit 604 is integrated with theprocessing station 602, when the inspection is performed after theresist solution coating process is performed, a wafer W is transferredin the path of the resist solution coating process, the inspection, theinterface station 603, and the aligner S5. In contrast, when theinspection is performed after the exposing process is performed, a waferW is transferred in the path of the aligner S5, the interface station603, the inspection of the processing station 602, and the developingprocess. When the inspection is performed after the developing processis performed, a wafer W is transferred in the path of the aligner S5,the interface station 603, the developing process of the processingstation 602, and the inspection. Thus, the predetermined inspection canbe performed after any process is performed without an inconsistency ofthe transferring flow of a wafer W.

After the resist solution coating process is performed, there areinspections for coated irregularities of resist solution, film thicknessof coated resist solution, and so forth. These inspections are performedby the above-described defect inspecting apparatus 641C and other filmthickness inspecting apparatus (not shown). As inspections performedafter the exposing process is performed, there is an exposed stateinspection such as a defocus inspection for a deviation of a patternformed by the aligner. This inspection can be performed using a CCDcamera as with the above-described inspections.

In addition, according to the present invention, when wafers W that havebeen processed in the coating and developing apparatus 600 aresample-inspected, even if the throughput of the inspecting unit 604 islower than the throughput of the coating and developing apparatus 600,the wafers W can be returned to the cassette C in the order of thosethat are taken therefrom without need to prepare a complicatedsample-inspection transferring program.

In other words, the inspecting unit 604 has the transferring stage 605on which a wafer W that is inspected is transferred and the waferholding portion 650 that holds wafers W that are not inspected. Whilethe inspecting portions 641 is inspecting an inspecting wafer W1, wafersW (for example, a second wafer W2 and a third wafer W3) that aretransferred from a preprocess portion for the inspecting portion aretransferred to the wafer holding portion 650 by the main transfermechanism MA corresponding to the transferring intervals of wafers W ofthe coating and developing apparatus 600. The second wafer W2 and thethird wafer W3 are held in the wafer holding portion 650 until theinspection for the wafer W1 is completed. After the inspection for thefirst wafer W1 has been completed and unloaded from the inspecting unit604, the wafers W held in the inspecting unit 604 are unloaded. Thus,the wafers W can be unloaded from the inspecting unit 604 without aninconsistency of the order of wafers W contained in the cassette C.Thus, the wafers W can be returned to the cassette C in the order ofthose contained therein.

As described above, a wafer W that is sample-inspected is selected everythree or more wafers. Alternatively, one wafer W may be selected fromeach cassette C. Alternatively, a plurality of wafers W may be selectedfrom each cassette C. Alternatively, one wafer W may be selected from aplurality of cassettes C.

The present invention can be applied to the case that after a developingprocess is performed the processed state is inspected. In addition, thepresent invention can be applied to the case that after a resist coatingprocess is performed the processed state is inspected and the case thatafter an exposing process is performed the processed state is inspected.

According to the present invention, the transferring stage 605 and thewafer holding portion 650 may be separately disposed. Alternatively, thewafer holding portion 650 may have two open sides from which both themain transfer mechanism MA and the auxiliary transfer mechanism A canaccess. In addition, a part of the wafer holding portion 650 (forexample, the top shelf or the bottom shelf) may be used as thetransferring stage 605. The transferring stage 605 may have a loadingstage and an unloading stage. The wafer holding portion 650 may have thesame structure as the transferring stage 605 as long as the waferholding portion 650 can hold a wafer W.

The inspecting unit 604 structured as shown in FIG. 37 may be disposedin the interface station 603. In this case, the transfer mechanism 676transfers a wafer W to the transferring stage 605 and the wafer holdingportion 650.

In addition, the present invention can be applied to the case that aprocessed wafer W is sample-inspected and that the throughput of theinspecting unit 604 is higher than the throughput of the coating anddeveloping apparatus 600. In this case, it is not necessary to convey awafer W to the wafer holding portion 650. When all wafers W that havebeen processed are inspected, wafers W that are inspected may betransferred to the wafer holding portion 650. In this case, the maintransfer mechanism MA transfers wafers W between the transferring stage605 and the wafer holding portion 650.

In this case, the inspecting portions may be apparatuses that inspectparticles, EBR widths, WEE widths, coated irregularities, developedirregularities, non-coated portion, non-developed portion, line widths,exposed focus deviation, and so forth as well as a line width inspectingapparatus, a matching inspecting apparatus, and a defect inspectingapparatus.

The substrate processing portions of the processing unit U may be forexample a reflection protection film coating unit and so forth as wellas the coating unit 632 and the developing unit 631. The number of thoseapparatuses may be freely designated.

In addition, instead of performing the hydrophobic process on the frontsurface of a wafer W, a reflection protection film may be formed. Thewafers W may be glass substrates for liquid crystal display as well aswafers.

According to the present invention, since the inspecting portion isdisposed in the substrate processing apparatus, the operation timeperiod necessary for the substrate process and the inspection can beshortened. Thus, the throughput of the apparatus can be improved. Inaddition, according to the present invention, when processed substratesare sample-inspected, the inspected wafers W can be returned to theoriginal cassette in the order of those contained therein without needto use a complicated transferring program.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No.2000-211532 filed Jul.12, 2000, No.2000-217722 filed Jul. 18, 2000 and No.2000-238468 filedAug. 7, 2000, including specification, drawings and claims are hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

Although only some exemplary embodiments of this invention have beendescribed in detail above, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciated that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: acassette station having: a holding portion for holding a substratecassette that contains a plurality of substrates, and a transferringportion for transferring the substrate to and from the substratecassette placed on the holding portion; a processing station having asubstrate processing portion for coating a process solution on thesubstrate transferred from the cassette station; an inspecting stationconnected to the processing station, the inspecting station having aninspecting portion for inspecting a processed state of the substrateprocessing portion for the substrate; and a main transfer mechanism fortransferring the substrate between the processing station and theinspecting station.
 2. The substrate processing apparatus as set forthin claim 1, wherein the inspecting station and the processing stationare adjacently disposed, and wherein the width in the directionapproximately perpendicular to the direction of the disposition of theinspecting station is equal to or smaller than the width in thedirection approximately perpendicular to the disposition of theprocessing station.
 3. The substrate processing apparatus as set forthin claim 1, wherein the inspecting station is connected to theprocessing station in the direction approximately perpendicular to thedirection of the disposition of the substrate cassette on the cassettestation.
 4. The substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,wherein the inspecting station is disposed in such a manner that theinspecting station is connectable to and disconnectable from at leastone of said cassette station and said processing station.
 5. Thesubstrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein theinspecting station has a plurality of types of inspecting portions. 6.The substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein theinspecting station has a storing portion for a material used in thesubstrate processing portion.
 7. The substrate processing apparatus asset forth in claim 6, wherein the substrate processing portion suppliespredetermined solution on the substrate, and wherein the material storedin the storing portion is the predetermined solution.
 8. The substrateprocessing apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the inspectingstation has a main transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate toand from the processing station.
 9. The substrate processing apparatusas set forth in claim 1, wherein the inspecting station has a substratetransferring portion.
 10. The substrate processing apparatus as setforth in claim 1, wherein the inspecting station has a substratetransferring portion for transferring the substrate to and from thetransferring portion of the cassette station.
 11. The substrateprocessing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein in the inspectingstation, a plurality of inspecting portions are disposed symmetricallywith respect to a line that divides the direction of the disposition ofthe inspecting station into two.
 12. The substrate processing apparatusas set forth in claim 1, wherein the inspecting station has an adjustingportion for adjusting at least one of the temperature and humidity ofthe interior of the inspecting station.
 13. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cassette station, theprocessing station, and the inspecting station are disposed in thedirection approximately perpendicular to the direction of thedisposition of the substrate cassette on the cassette station, andwherein the inspecting station is disposed midway between the cassettestation and the processing station.
 14. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cassette station, theprocessing station, and the inspecting station are disposed in thedirection approximately perpendicular to the direction of thedisposition of the substrate cassette on the cassette station, andwherein the processing station is disposed midway between the cassettestation and the inspecting station.
 15. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing station has aplurality of substrate processing portions, wherein at least one of saidsubstrate processing portions coats a developing solution on thesubstrate that has been coated with a resist solution and exposed so asto perform a developing process, wherein the inspecting station has aplurality of inspecting apparatuses, wherein at least one of saidinspecting apparatuses inspects the processed state of the developingprocess for the substrate, wherein the cassette station, the processingstation, and the inspecting station are disposed in the directionapproximately perpendicular to the direction of the disposition of thesubstrate cassette on the cassette station, and wherein the inspectingstation is disposed midway between the cassette station and theprocessing station.
 16. The substrate processing apparatus as set forthin claim 1, wherein the processing station has a plurality of substrateprocessing portions, wherein at least one of said substrate processingportions coats a resist solution on the substrate, wherein theinspecting station has a plurality of inspecting apparatuses, wherein atleast one of said inspecting apparatuses inspects the coated state of aresist solution on the substrate, wherein the cassette station, theprocessing station, and the inspecting station are disposed in thedirection approximately perpendicular to the direction of thedisposition of the substrate cassette on the cassette station, andwherein the processing station is disposed midway between the cassettestation and the inspecting station.
 17. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inspecting portionmeasures the film thickness of a coated film formed on the substrate.18. The substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, whereinthe inspecting portion inspects the surface state of a coated filmformed on the substrate.
 19. The substrate processing apparatus as setforth in claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is disposedin a clean room, and wherein the following relation is satisfied: firstpressure>second pressure>third pressure>fourth pressure where the firstpressure is the inner pressure of the processing station, the secondpressure is the inner pressure of the cassette station, the thirdpressure is the inner pressure of the inspecting station, and the fourthpressure is the inner pressure of the clean room.
 20. A substrateprocessing apparatus, comprising: a cassette station having: a holdingportion for holding a substrate cassette that contains a plurality ofsubstrates, and a transferring portion for transferring a substrate toand from the substrate cassette placed on the holding portion; a firstprocessing station having a first substrate processing portion forcoating a first process solution on the substrate transferred from thecassette station; a second processing station having a second substrateprocessing portion for coating a second process solution on thesubstrate transferred from the cassette station; a first inspectingstation disposed midway between the first processing station and thesecond processing station, the first inspecting station having a firstinspecting portion for inspecting the substrate; and a main transfermechanism for transferring the substrate among the first processingstation, the second processing station, and the first inspectingstation, wherein the cassette station, the first processing station, thesecond processing station, and the first inspecting station are disposedin the direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of thedisposition of the substrate cassette on the cassette station.
 21. Thesubstrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 20, furthercomprising: a second inspecting station disposed midway between thecassette station and the first processing station, the second inspectingstation having a second inspecting portion for inspecting the substrate.22. The substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 20, furthercomprising: an interface station for transferring the substrate to andfrom an aligner; and a third inspecting station disposed midway betweenthe second processing station and the interface station, the thirdinspecting station having a third inspecting portion for inspecting thesubstrate.
 23. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a cassettestation having: a holding portion for holding a substrate cassette thatcontains a plurality of substrates, and a transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to and from the substrate cassette placed onthe holding portion; a processing station having a substrate processingportion for coating a process solution on the substrate transferred fromthe cassette station; an interface station for transferring thesubstrate to and from an aligner; a first inspecting station disposedmidway between the cassette station and the processing station, thefirst inspecting station having a first inspecting portion forinspecting a substrate; and a second inspecting station disposed midwaybetween the processing station and the interface station, the secondinspecting station having a second inspecting portion for inspecting asubstrate.
 24. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a carrierstation having: a carrier loading/unloading portion for loading andunloading a carrier that contains a plurality of substrates, and atransferring portion for transferring the substrate to and from thecarrier on the carrier loading/unloading portion; a processing stationdisposed adjacent to the carrier station, the processing station having:a coating portion for coating a resist on the substrate, a developingportion for developing the substrate that has been exposed, and a maintransferring portion for transferring the substrate to the coatingportion and the developing portion and transferring the substrate to andfrom the transferring portion; and an inspecting station disposedadjacent to the carrier station, the inspecting station having aninspecting portion for inspecting the substrate.
 25. The substrateprocessing apparatus as set forth in claim 24, further comprising: anexternal carrier holding portion for holding the carrier that containsthe substrate that has been processed outside the substrate processingapparatus; and a mode selecting portion for selecting a regularoperation mode in which the inspecting portion inspects the substrateprocessed in the processing station or an inspecting portion dedicatedoperation mode in which the inspecting portion inspects the substrateprocessed outside the substrate processing apparatus.
 26. The substrateprocessing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the externalcarrier holding portion is disposed in the carrier station.
 27. Thesubstrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein theexternal carrier holding portion is a part of the carrierloading/unloading portion of the carrier station.
 28. The substrateprocessing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the inspectingstation has an auxiliary transferring portion for transferring asubstrate to and from the inspecting portion, wherein an intermediateholding portion is disposed in the carrier station, in the inspectingstation, or midway between the carrier station and the inspectingstation, the intermediate holding station temporarily holding thesubstrate, and wherein the transferring portion of the carrier stationtransfers the substrate developed in the processing station and thesubstrate contained in a carrier on the external carrier holding portionto and from the auxiliary transferring portion through the intermediateholding portion.
 29. The substrate processing apparatus as set forth inclaim 25, further comprising: a multi-staged holding portion fortemporarily holding at least one substrate that has been developed inthe processing station before the substrate is transferred to theinspecting portion of the inspecting station.
 30. The substrateprocessing apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the multi-stagedholding portion also functions as an intermediate holding portion fortransferring the substrate between the transferring portion and theauxiliary transferring portion.
 31. The substrate processing apparatusas set forth in claim 25, wherein a plurality of inspecting portions aredisposed in the vertical direction.
 32. A substrate processingapparatus, comprising: a carrier station having: a carrierloading/unloading portion for loading and unloading a carrier thatcontains a plurality of substrates, and a first transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to and from the carrier on the carrierloading/unloading portion; a processing station disposed adjacent to thecarrier station, the processing station having: a coating portion forcoating a resist on a substrate, a developing portion for developing asubstrate that has been exposed, and a main transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to the coating portion and the developingportion and transferring the substrate to and from the transferringportion; and an inspecting station disposed adjacent to the carrierstation, the inspecting station having an inspecting portion forinspecting the substrate that has been processed; an external carrierholding portion for holding the carrier that contains the substrate thathas been processed outside the substrate processing apparatus; a secondtransferring portion for transferring the substrate between the carrieron the external carrier holding portion and the inspecting station; anda mode selecting portion for selecting a regular operation mode in whichthe inspecting portion inspects the substrate processed in theprocessing station or an inspecting portion dedicated operation mode inwhich the inspecting portion inspects the substrate processed outsidethe substrate processing apparatus.
 33. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 32, wherein the inspecting station hasan auxiliary transferring portion for transferring the substrate to andfrom the inspecting portion.
 34. The substrate processing apparatus asset forth in claim 32, wherein the external carrier holding portion andthe second transferring portion are disposed midway between the carrierstation and the inspecting station, and wherein in the regular operationmode, the second transferring portion transfers the substrate betweenthe first transferring portion and the auxiliary transferring portion ofthe inspecting station.
 35. The substrate processing apparatus as setforth in claim 32, further comprising: a multi-staged holding portionfor temporarily holding at least one substrate that has been developedin the processing station before the substrate is transferred to theinspecting portion of the inspecting station.
 36. A substrate processingapparatus, comprising: a carrier station having: a carrierloading/unloading portion for loading and unloading a carrier thatcontains a plurality of substrates, and a first transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to and from the carrier on the carrierloading/unloading portion; a processing station disposed adjacent to thecarrier station, the processing station having: a coating portion forcoating a resist on a substrate, a developing portion for developing thesubstrate that has been exposed, and a main transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to the coating portion and the developingportion and transferring the substrate to and from the transferringportion; an inspecting station disposed adjacent to the carrier station,the inspecting station having: an inspecting portion for inspecting thesubstrate that has been processed, an external carrier holding portionfor holding the carrier that contains the substrate that has beenprocessed outside the substrate processing apparatus, and an auxiliarytransferring portion for transferring the substrate among thetransferring portion, the inspecting portion, and the external carrierholding portion; and a mode selecting portion for selecting a regularoperation mode in which the inspecting portion inspects the substrateprocessed in the processing station or an inspecting portion dedicatedoperation mode in which the inspecting portion inspects the substrateprocessed outside the substrate processing apparatus.
 37. A substrateprocessing apparatus, comprising: a carrier station having: a carrierloading/unloading portion for loading and unloading a carrier thatcontains a plurality of substrates, and a transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to and from the carrier placed on the carrierloading/unloading portion; a processing station disposed adjacent to thecarrier station, the processing station having: a coating portion forcoating a resist on the substrate, a developing portion for developingthe substrate that has been exposed, and a main transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to the coating portion and the developingportion and transferring the substrate to and from the transferringportion; and an inspecting station disposed adjacent to the processingstation, the inspecting station having an inspecting portion forinspecting the substrate.
 38. A substrate processing apparatus,comprising: a carrier station having: a carrier loading/unloadingportion for loading and unloading a carrier that contains a plurality ofsubstrates, and a transferring portion for transferring the substrate toand from the carrier placed on the carrier loading/unloading portion; aprocessing station disposed adjacent to the carrier station, theprocessing station having: a coating portion for coating a resist on thesubstrate, a developing portion for developing the substrate that hasbeen exposed, and a main transferring portion for transferring thesubstrate to the coating portion and the developing portion andtransferring the substrate to and from the transferring portion; aninterface station, disposed midway between an aligner and the processingstation, for transferring the substrate to and from the aligner; and aninspecting station disposed adjacent to the interface station, theinspecting station having an inspecting portion for inspecting thesubstrate.
 39. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a cassettestation having: a holding portion for holding a substrate cassette thatcontains a plurality of substrates, and a transferring portion fortransferring the substrate to and from the substrate cassette on theholding portion; a processing station having a substrate processingportion for coating a process solution on the substrate transferred fromthe cassette station; an interface station, disposed adjacent to analigner, for transferring the substrate to and from the aligner; a firstinspecting station disposed midway between the processing station andthe interface station, the first inspecting station having a firstinspecting portion for inspecting the substrate; and a second inspectingstation disposed adjacent to the cassette station, the second inspectingstation having a second inspecting portion for inspecting the substrate.40. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a cassette stationhaving: a holding portion for holding a substrate cassette that containsa plurality of substrates, and a transferring portion for transferringthe substrate to and from the substrate cassette on the holding portion;a processing station having a substrate processing portion for coating aprocess solution on the substrate transferred from the cassette station;an interface station, disposed midway between an aligner and theprocessing station, for transferring the substrate to and from thealigner; a first inspecting station disposed midway between the cassettestation and the processing station, the first inspecting station havinga first inspecting portion for inspecting the substrate; and a secondinspecting station disposed adjacent to the interface station, thesecond inspecting station having a second inspecting portion forinspecting the substrate.
 41. A substrate processing apparatus,comprising: a cassette station having: a holding portion for holding asubstrate cassette that contains a plurality of substrates, and atransferring portion for transferring the substrate to and from thesubstrate cassette on the holding portion; a processing station disposedadjacent to the cassette station, the processing station having: asubstrate processing portion for coating a process solution on thesubstrate, and a main transfer mechanism for transferring substrates tothe substrate processing portion in the order of those contained in thesubstrate cassette and transferring the substrates to and from thetransferring portion in the order of those contained in the substratecassette; an inspecting portion for inspecting the processed state ofthe substrate processing portion for the substrate; an inspectingsubstrate holding portion for holding an inspecting substrate that hasbeen processed outside the substrate processing apparatus and that isinspected in the inspecting portion; a substrate holding portion forholding substrates that have been processed in the substrate processingportion and that are later than the inspecting substrate in thesubstrate cassette in the order of those contained therein; and a maintransfer mechanism for transferring the substrate that has beenprocessed in the substrate processing portion to the inspectingsubstrate holding portion and the substrate holding portion.
 42. Thesubstrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 41, furthercomprising: an auxiliary transfer mechanism for transferring thesubstrate between the inspecting portion and the inspecting substrateholding portion.
 43. The substrate processing apparatus as set forth inclaim 41, wherein the inspecting portion, the inspecting substrateholding portion, and the substrate holding portion are disposed in theprocessing station, wherein the main transfer mechanism is composed ofthe main transfer mechanism, and wherein the main transfer mechanismtransfers the inspecting substrate processed in the substrate holdingportion to and from the inspecting substrate holding portion.
 44. Thesubstrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 41, wherein theinspecting portion, the inspecting substrate holding portion, and thesubstrate holding portion are disposed adjacent to the cassette station,wherein the main transfer mechanism is composed of the transferringportion, and wherein the transferring portion transfers the inspectingsubstrate processed in the substrate holding portion to and from theinspecting substrate holding portion.
 45. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 41, wherein a plurality of inspectingportions for inspecting a plurality of inspections for the substrate aredisposed in the vertical direction.
 46. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 41, wherein at least one of thesubstrate processing portions of the processing stations coats adeveloping solution on the substrate that has been coated with a resistsolution and exposed so as to perform a developing process, and whereinat least one of the inspecting portions inspects the processed state ofthe developing process for the substrate.
 47. The substrate processingapparatus as set forth in claim 41, wherein at least one of thesubstrate processing portions of the processing station coats a resistsolution on the substrate, and wherein one of the inspecting portionsinspects the coated state of the resist solution for the substrate. 48.The substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 41, wherein theinspecting portion measures the line widths of a resist pattern formedon the substrate.
 49. The substrate processing apparatus as set forth inclaim 41, wherein the inspecting portion inspects the matching of theresist pattern and the base pattern formed on the substrate.
 50. Thesubstrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 46, wherein theinspecting portion inspects the surface state of the coated film formedon the substrate.
 51. A substrate processing method, comprising thesteps of: transferring a plurality of substrates contained in asubstrate cassette to a substrate processing portion in the order of thesubstrates contained in the substrate cassette and coating a processsolution on the substrates; unloading a substrate processed in thesubstrate processing portion from the substrate processing portion;transferring an inspecting substrate selected from a predeterminednumber of substrates unloaded from the substrate processing portion toan inspecting portion and causing the inspecting portion to inspect theprocessed state of the substrate processing portion; transferringsubstrates later than an inspecting substrate to a substrate holdingportion and causing the substrate holding portion to hold the substratesin the order of the substrates contained in the substrate cassette untilthe inspecting portion completes the inspection of the inspectingsubstrate when the process time period of the inspecting portion islonger than the transferring intervals of substrates transferred fromthe substrate processing portion; unloading the inspecting substratethat has been inspected in the inspecting portion from the inspectingportion; and unloading the inspecting substrate from the inspectingportion and then unloading the substrates held in the substrate holdingportion therefrom in the order of the substrates contained in thesubstrate cassette.
 52. The substrate processing method as set forth inclaim 51, wherein the substrate processing portion coats a developingsolution on the substrate that has been coated with a resist solutionand exposed so as to perform a developing process, and wherein theinspecting portion inspects the processed state of the developingprocess for the substrate.
 53. The substrate processing method as setforth in claim 51, wherein the substrate processing portion coats aresist solution on a substrate, and wherein the inspecting portioninspects the coated state of the resist solution for the substrate.